Court issues arrest warrant for suspected Canadian paedophile

The warrant was issued for 32-year-old Christopher Paul Neil, who is accused by Interpol of sexually assaulting 12 boys and posting 200 pictures of the crimes on the Internet.

Neil was tracked to Thailand after hundreds of people around the world responded to an unprecedented global appeal from Interpol for help finding the man shown in the pictures.

The warrant was issued after a Thai boy, who is now 13, came forward after seeing Neil's photo in the newspaper.

Police Commander Pol Lt Gen Wimon Paoin,  said the boy, who then was 9, was playing a video game when a man who acted as a sort of agent for Neil asked the child to play the game in the suspect's room, which was in the same building, in 2003.

"The boy then had his clothes removed and his photograph was taken. The agent left before the suspect abused the boy and paid the boy off with Bt200," Wimon said.

Neil was charged of kidnapping, illegal detention, and of molesting a boy under 15 years old.

Police are still investigating claims that Neil molested two other Thai boys, Wimon added.

Interpol believes that many of the pictures posted on the Internet show Neil raping boys in Vietnam and Cambodia, countries with reputations as destinations for sex tourism.

Neil had been teaching English at a school in Seoul, where South Korean police are also investigating his activities. He flew to Bangkok on October 11 reportedly after learning that Interpol was looking for him.

A security camera at Bangkok airport documented his arrival at the airport on that day.

Meanwhile Immigration police commander Pol Col Taweesak Phalasak said Neil had visited Thailand six times since 2000.