UK paedophile busted in Chiang Mai on abuse, porn charges

UK paedophile busted in Chiang Mai on abuse, porn charges

Convicted UK paedophile Simon Jeremy Merrington Briscoe hides his face while being led away by police in Chiang Mai after being arrested for allegedly abusing underage boys and distributing child pornography online. (Photo by Cheewin Sattha)
Convicted UK paedophile Simon Jeremy Merrington Briscoe hides his face while being led away by police in Chiang Mai after being arrested for allegedly abusing underage boys and distributing child pornography online. (Photo by Cheewin Sattha)

A Briton was arrested at his home in central Chiang Mai on Monday for allegedly sexually abusing Thai minors, videotaping them and posting it on the internet.

Police armed with a search warrant raided the home of Simon Jeremy Merrington Briscoe, 64, in tambon Chang Puak of Muang district and charged him with abusing minors, filming his encounters and posting them online.

Briscoe previously was arrested and convicted of similar crimes in the United Kingdom in 1995 and 2005, Thai media reported. He subsequently came to Thailand and unofficially married a 28-year-old Thai man.  

The arrest came on an Interpol request for the Provincial Police Region 5 Women and Children's Protection Centre to locate two teenage boys shown in a video clip in bed with a western man. The video, found on a gay-oriented website in the United Kingdom, included a shot of Chiang Mai's Tha Phae Gate was shown, which tipped off police to where it was filmed.

Police later identified the victims in the video as 16-year-old hill tribe boys in Mae Chaem district. The teens said they met Briscoe at the Tha Phae Gate and he offered them 500 baht each to have sex with him.

Police later obtained an arrest warrant for Briscoe.

Police said they found a large amount of child pornography on a desktop computer in his home. Briscoe denied the charges and did not talk to police.

Investigators said more charges could be brought if Briscoe's husband was found to have been involved in the incidents.

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