The decision to arrest a convicted pedophile moments after he landed at Vancouver’s airport was made in the interest of public safety, said the RCMP.
Christopher Neil was returning from Thailand, where he spent more than three years behind bars after being found guilty of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy, when he was greeted by police at the airport.
The severity of Neil’s offences overseas was significant enough to raise concerns in Canada, Cpl. Mathias Van Laer of the RCMP’s Integrated Child Exploitation Unit told CTV News Channel on Sunday.
“When you have crimes of that nature, crimes against children, this is a segment of the population that’s a lot more vulnerable than others,” said Van Laer. “They can’t defend themselves so we need to have some measured controls.”
Police arrested Neil under a section of the Criminal Code that allows investigators to take someone into custody when they fear he or she may commit a sexual offence against someone under the age of 16.
On Monday, the Maple Ridge, B.C. native will appear before a judge, who will determine whether any conditions can be imposed on the former teacher.
CTV’s Alberta Bureau Chief Janet Dirks reported that the judge could bar Neil from being in public parks or swimming pools, order him to wear an electronic monitoring device or adhere to a curfew.
If Neil declines to accept the conditions, he could spend up to a year in custody, Dirks reported. The monitoring conditions could last for up to two years.
“We felt a responsibility to tell people we were keeping an eye on him as he was returning to Canada,” said Van Laer.
He added that police will not charge Neil with crimes committed abroad.
“Those were dealt with,” said Van Laer. “Now we have to deal with him here in Canada and how does that impact our community here.”
Neil was the subject of a massive international manhunt for sexually assaulting children and posting the acts on the Internet, with his face disguised with a digital swirl.
He was arrested in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2007, about 250 kilometres from Bangkok.
Criminal attorney Jonathan Rosenthal told News Channel that he commends the quick actions of police.
“He pleaded guilty to abusing children sexually,” said Rosenthal, spokesperson for Beyond Boarders, an organization that helps young victims of sexual abuse and exploitation.
“Pedophilia is a disease. I doubt he received any treatment in Thailand for these egregious offenses,” said Rosenthal.
He said compared to other countries, Canada’s laws regarding child sexual exploitation committed abroad, or “sexual tourism,” are weak.
Rosenthal said he hopes to see more pedophiles who are charged and convicted overseas face prosecution in Canada.
“That’s the only way to let people know that when people plan these crimes, they know when they do get caught when they get back to Canada they’re going to be charged and they’ll be going to the penitentiary,” he said.
