Published on July 18, 2005

A Briton arrested on underage sex charges in Pattaya last week was placed on a British government register over 10 years ago as a person not to be employed with children.

Nicholas Rabet was the deputy head of a children’s home in the London borough of Islington for 15 years.

After being accused of offences against a young boy and being put on the Health Department’s Consultancy Register, he left to open a private youth activity centre in East Sussex, which was described as a kind of “Never Never Land”, where children could ride motorbikes and play computer games.

Rabet, 56, was detained on Thursday at a rented house in Pattaya with 11 game machine consoles, snacks and plastic bags filled with clothes of children who came to play at his place, police said.

Rabet offered his house as a free game arcade for children aged between 6-14 on the condition they took off their clothes while playing the games to prevent them from stealing game cassettes.

A bell would be hung on the front door to show that he was at home and the boys could come to play.

“We’ve charged him with molesting children aged under 15, no matter whether it was consensual or not,” Police Colonel Preecha Soonthornsiri said.

Rabet could face a maximum jail term of five years if found guilty.

An independent enquiry by Oxfordshire County Council Social Services chief showed that several members of Islington Social Services were under suspicion of being child abusers but had not been properly investigated because they had been stifled by political correctness and a rigid adherence to equal opportunities for gay employees.

Rabet was also accused in an investigation by the London Evening Standard of abusing a boy at The Stables Activity Centre in Sussex, which had been left to him in a will.

Two associates of his at The Stables were also accused of child abuse. One Neil Hocquart, 40, a photographer, committed suicide after his home was raided by police. A second Walter Clack was fined for possessing child pornography.

Police took away photographs from Rabet’s home. But a case was never brought against him although he was placed on an NCIS (National Criminal Intelligence Service) watch list.

Rabet had been living in Pattaya for several years after repeatedly being given a visa extensions.

Police Colonel Naradet said the raid on his house in Soi Yoimi in Central Pattaya was made after complaints from teachers of young boys. During the raid two boys were found at his house.

“It is alleged he may have abused up to 300 boys over a 10-year period,” he said.

According to the boys found in the house, they would receive small tips of Bt20 up to Bt1,000 for sexual services ranging from oral sex to anal sex.

The boys would also earn commission if they could find other willing boys who could come to the man’s house at SS Villa, just behind the Carrefour shopping center.

Other evidence collected included games machines, lubricating jelly and Viagra tablets.

Rabet declined to comment or make a statement without a lawyer present. He is seeking bail, which is often given to alleged sex offenders in Pattaya.

Sudarat Sereewat, general secretary of Thailand’s Coalition to Fight Against Child Exploitation, said that she would try and oppose bail.

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