'Swirly face' suspect in court
Published: Monday, 2 June 2008, 11:22AM
A Canadian paedophile suspect has pleaded not guilty to four charges of molesting and distributing pornographic images of two Thai boys.
Christopher Neil was caught after police computer experts unravelled his digitally scrambled "swirly face" from images of abuse found on the internet, prompting Interpol to issue a public appeal.
Neil, whose wrists and ankles were shackled, told Bangkok Criminal Court: "I deny all the charges as I have done nothing wrong."
If found guilty the 32-year-old could spend up to 20 years in jail.
The pictures are thought to have been taken in Vietnam and Cambodia, so fall outside Thai jurisdiction.
However, after he fled to Thailand from South Korea, where he had been teaching, two Thai brothers came forward and accused him of paying for sex when they were nine and 14.
Neil presented a list of four defence witnesses and refused to pay 300,000 baht in compensation demanded by the parents of one of the boys.
His next hearing is due on October 7, Neil's lawyer said.
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