Trial for Canadian paedophile suspect kicks off in Bangkok

"I deny all charges," Neil, 32, told the Bangkok Criminal Court through a Thai interpreter.

 Prapat Dawan, the father of two boys allegedly abducted and molested by Neil, told the court that the suspect had ruined his reputation and those of his sons.

 In what might turn into a civil case should Neil be found guilty of criminal charges, Prapat demanded 300,000 baht (9,524 dollars) in compensation from Neil.

"I have no money," Neil responded to the judge's question of whether he would pay Prapat compensation. "I have no job. I'm having financial problems."

Neil, with his head shaved and in an orange prison uniform, entered the court smiling and appeared relaxed through the opening session of his trial.

He was arrested October 19 in Thailand's Nakorn Ratchasima province, 210 kilometres north-east of Bangkok. He had fled South Korea a week earlier after Interpol released his picture with a red alert, its highest search signal.

Thai police dubbed Neil, a former English teacher, "a serious threat to society" suspected of having abused scores, possibly hundreds, of boys - some as young as 6 - and girls.

Neil is standing trial in Thailand, accused of abusing two boys and a teenager during his time as an English teacher in Bangkok in 2003. He faces 20 years in jail if convicted.

German police investigators triggered an international manhunt for Neil last year when they managed to "uncoil" his digitally altered, swirled internet photographs that showed him abusing a dozen young boys in Cambodia and Vietnam, some appearing to be well under 10 years old.

Neil was tracked down in north-east Thailand after a Thai boy came forward to accuse the Canadian of paying for oral sex, allowing police to issue an arrest warrant. Canada also has laws allowing it to punish paedophiles for their activities in third countries.

Former colleagues have regaled reporters with their impressions of Neil as an "unassuming character" who was a "diligent teacher."

But writings attributed to him on social-networking websites and elsewhere show evidence of an arrogant character who offered advice about cleaning a computer of "dangerous" photographs and how to avoid character checks when applying for teaching jobs.

On MySpace, Neil once wrote that he had been "kicking around Asia for the past five years, teaching mainly and finding other forms of mischief."

Neil fled Korea last year after deleting hundreds of postings he had made on an English teachers discussion group and shaving his hair.

At least three young Thais said Neil abused them and paid them money after luring them to an apartment he once rented in Bangkok four years ago, Thai police said.

German police started investigating his activities when they discovered three years ago that his swirl-disguised picture was common to scores of internet images and his paedophile activities in Asia.//dpa