Interpol identifies paedophile suspect

Interpol has identified the suspected serial paedophile who is the subject of a worldwide hunt.

Interpol has identified the suspected serial paedophile who is the subject of a worldwide hunt.

Interpol in Thailand said Christopher Paul Neil, a Canadian now believed to be in hiding in Bangkok, had taught at an international school in the Thai capital in 2003-2004.

Interpol have released this undated image of the suspect named as Canadian national Paul Neil
Interpol have released this undated image of the suspect named as Canadian national Paul Neil

An Interpol spokesman said Thai police were hunting for Neil, who entered the country last week from South Korea after Interpol posted unscrambled pictures of his face on the web. His digitally swirled face in online photos of child sex abuse was unscrambled by computer experts.

"They are also looking for children he abused and took photos with," the spokesman said. "There were three boys he had abused. One boy has been identified and is being sought, two others have not been identified."

READ MORE

Detectives have been trying to track down Neil, who was born in 1975, since German police discovered photographs on the Internet three years ago showing him raping 12 boys in Vietnam and Cambodia.

His face was disguised with a swirly digital pattern, but experts at Germany's BKA federal crime office managed to unravel the image to reveal a white man with receding black hair.

When Interpol posted the cleaned-up picture of the suspect on its website (www.interpol.int) - the first time it has issued a direct worldwide appeal - more than 350 people came forward.

Neil, who was codenamed "Vico", was identified by information from five sources on three different continents, the international police body said.