Canadian Christopher Paul Neil repeated his claims of innocence Monday inside a Bangkok courtroom, where he faces child molestation charges for allegedly abusing a nine-year-old boy.
Barefoot, shackled to another prisoner and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, Neil smiled and asked a friend, "How's it going?" when he entered the courtroom.
"I hope there will be justice in Thailand," he told an Associated Press reporter.
Neil, a 32-year-old schoolteacher from Maple Ridge, B.C., has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His trial was quickly adjourned to June 2 on Monday, but new details were released about the prosecution's case, CTV's Steve Chao reported from Bangkok.
"We learned much more about the evidence the prosecution has. According to the lawyers they plan to present 70 photos allegedly showing Neil molesting a nine-year-old boy in Thailand several years ago," Chao told CTV's Canada AM.
"They're also expecting to put this boy, who is now 14, on the stand to testify."
The alleged victim's brother was also supposed to testify, but has now apparently dropped out, Chao said. He noted that the prosecution's case now appears to hinge on the boy's testimony and photos which police say they seized from Neil when he was arrested.
The boy contacted police after seeing Neil's face on television following his arrest. He maintains that Neil paid him $15 to $30 to perform oral sex in 2003, while he was living in Thailand.
Neil has been charged in Bangkok Criminal Court with:
- Taking a child under 15 without parental consent with intent to molest, punishable by up to 20 years in prison;
- Illegal detention, punishable by up to three years; and,
- Sexual abuse of a child under 15, punishable by up to 10 years.
"We've got the evidence and we have the victim," prosecutor Sontus Singhapus told AP. "He's guilty."
Investigations are also underway in Vietnam, Thailand and here in Canada, Chao said.
"So even if he is found guilty or not guilty in Thailand, there could be extradition requests put in by these other countries to have him face charges there."
If convicted on the child molestation charges in Thailand, Neil could face up to 20 years in prison.
Neil became the object of an international manhunt after police officers in Germany managed to digitally restore altered photos of a man having sex with children.
The photos were reportedly taken in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
Neil was finally arrested in Thailand last October, at the house of his boyfriend, identified by AP only as Ohm. The boyfriend was present at the hearing Monday and said Neil was innocent.
"How can this be him?" he said. "When I stayed with him, there was nothing like this. I don't believe (the charges)."
