CHIANG MAI – An American former teacher has been arrested in Mae Tang district on Tuesday afternoon on child pornography charges with police investigating allegations he molested young boys.
James Craig Neumann, 67, was taken into custody at his home in tambon Khulek Tuesday by officers from the Department of Special Investigation and representatives from the US embassy's Homeland Security investigative team.
Mr Neumann was a former English-language teacher in Thailand known for enticing young boys in his neighbourhood to come over to play at his house, police said.
A search of his house uncovered hundreds of indecent images of children on computers as well as evidence he had shared pictures over the internet.
Police said they would try to identify boys in the photos to determine if sexual molestation charges would also be filed against the American.
Under newly enacted child-pornography legislation, Mr Neumann faces up to five years in prison, fine of 100,000 baht or both.
The arrest is the second in a week involving foreign teachers accused of paedophilia. Convicted Australian paedophile Peter Walbran was arrested last week in Ubon Ratchathani where he was teaching teenagers, prompting the Office of Basic Education Commission to order schools to carry out background checks on their foreign instructors.