Tuesday, 19 January 2010

U.S. Man in Cambodia Arrested on Child Porn Charge


via CAAI News Media

Monday, January 18, 2010
Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian police said Monday they have arrested an American man on charges that he drugged a 12-year-old girl and took pornographic photos of her.

Chor Heng, deputy police chief of Preah Sihanouk province, said Ronald A. Adams, 51, was arrested at his home Friday after a complaint from the girl's mother.

Provincial prosecutor You Tith Vattanak said Adams was charged Sunday with illegal drug use and possession of child pornography, and could face rape charges if medical tests confirm he physically abused the girl. He could be jailed for at least 10 years on the initial charges, he said.

Police said Adams has lived in the seaside province — about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southwest of Phnom Penh — for at least two years and operates a small restaurant there. His passport says he is from New York, police say.

The suspect, who was being held in the provincial jail, was unavailable for comment.

Lax law enforcement and poverty have made Cambodia a prime destination for foreigners seeking sex with minors. But police recently have stepped up efforts to fight the crime, and several foreigners are serving lengthy prison terms.

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