French man, 51, arrested for child rape

BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): A 51-year-old French man, who reportedly worked as a French teacher in Singapore, has been arrested in Bangkok for buying sex with teenage boys, Metropolitan Police commander Maj-Gen Senit Samrarnsamruajkit told a press conference on Wednesday.

The suspect, Quenot Jean-Christophe Marie Georges, was arrested on February 4 at a hotel room in Soi Inthamara 47.

A computer notebook, a memory card, two hard disks, a camcorder, camera, cell phone, eight packs of Kamagra oral jelly (a cheaper version of erectile dysfunction-treating Viagra) and 36 condoms were seized, Senit said.

He allegedly picked up boys aged 13-15 at the Huay Kwang Stadium to have sex with him.

A father complained that his teenage son had gone missing and police say they traced him to the foreigner’s hotel.

The suspect was allegedly caught with two boys aged 14, who were not the missing boy.

Officers said they found a tripod in the room and a computer with pornographic movies for the boys to watch with him. 

Police said they found a video of the suspect having sex with a teenage boy.

Two boys reportedly told police they were invited on Facebook by the suspect to have sex with him for Bt800 (RM105)-Bt1,000 (RM130).

Deputy divisional commander Col Nakarin Sukhonthawit said the police had been noticed that teenagers at the stadium had an unusual amount of cash because they were "going out with a foreigner". 

Nakarin said the suspect had admitted to recording sex videos with a boy but insisted it was for his own viewing. Police are checking for the videos online, which would lead to additional charges.

The suspect reportedly told police that he taught French in Singapore and had over a year ago befriended boys at the stadium by volunteering to teach them English and football.

As he grew closer to the boys, he invited them to have sex with him for cash and would record it, the police said. 

Police found the suspect had entered Thailand 10 times before, with the previous trip mid-2018, each time staying in the Huai Kwang hotel for around five days.

Police initially charged the man for "taking away" minors under 15 from their parents or guardian and raping children.