Friday, 26 September 2008

Former Burton man, Jason Baumbach, arrested in Cambodia on sex charges

by Bryn Mickle

The Flint Journal
Thursday September 25, 2008

BURTON, Michigan -- A former Burton man is in a Cambodian prison on charges he had sex with a 13-year-old girl there.

Jason T. Baumbach, 40, was arrested last week for allegedly having sex with a Cambodian girl whose English tutoring bill he paid, according to a report in the Phnom Penh Post.

Baumbach's parents, who still live in Burton, declined comment on the case when contacted by the Flint Journal this week.

"We do not want to comment until we talk to our son, thank you," said his mother, Cheryl.

The arrest came after a month-long investigation by the Cambodian Ministry of Interior's Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Unit, the Phnom Penh Post reported.

The newspaper said Baumbach had been living in Cambodia since last year and apparently met the girl through her sister.

The sex was allegedly in exchange for her $100-a-month English lessons.

A police raid on his Cambodian home turned up pornographic videos, including some with children, the newspaper reported.

A Cambodian prosecutor told the newspaper that officials believe he may have used the videos to teach the girl various sex acts.

Baumbach is being held in Prey Sar prison and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Two local women who visited Cambodia this summer said the country makes no secret that it won't tolerate sex with underage boys and girls.

"There's a warning on the airplane seat in front of you," said Maureen Tippen, a University of Michigan-Flint nursing professor.

Tippen, who spent two weeks in Cambodia on a June health mission with her students, said the country is trying shake its reputation as a destination spot for men looking to have sex with children.U

M-Flint nursing student Nicole Ragnone said tourists are warned they will be jailed for such acts.

"(Baumbach's arrest) is not a surprise," said Ragnone, who like Tippen said she never ran into Baumbach during her stay.

So far this year, seven foreign nationals have been arrested on child sex charges, the newspaper reported.

Baumbach could also face U.S. charges under a 2003 act that makes it a crime here to have underage sex in Cambodia.

U.S. Embassy officials in Cambodia have declined comment on the allegations against Baumbach.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

These people that travel from a broad and looling for sex with kids in our country should be burn alive or put them in prison for ever.

Anonymous said...

And you, you filthy Cambodian! What about the Khmer guys who rape their own sisters when drunk. One can read about it every day in The Cambodia Daily. You uneducated fool, I bet you are just like the rest of the filthy Khmers who do not think it necessary to stop at red lights or obey traffic rules and flee the scene of an accident . How dare you chastise us foreigners, take a good look at yourself before you criticize others. Thank god we make it hard for you dirty Asians to visit our countries. Man, you are seriously retarded and you will be a dag on a cockroaches backside in your next life that is for sure. Your English is not real good either.

Anonymous said...

These people are sick and need to be stopped! I agree with anonymous #1 -- lock them up.
Anonymous #2, it is you who is filthy. You do not represent the rest of the U.S. citizenry with your ugly sentiments, and your English leaves a lot to be desired, though it likely IS your first language. Creep!