Convicted British Sex Offender Found Working As School Teacher In Thailand

[sriracha john]

*none of the words in this post are my own, but those of the newspaper*

Touch of the Pedophile

Vile ... Smith touches unsuspecting girl

VILE pervert Alan Smith reaches out to touch a schoolgirl - after The Sun tracked him down and found him working as a TEACHER.

The convicted paedophile lied to get his job in Thailand, but his new life there will end today when cops arrest him.

Smith, 53 - jailed for child abuse in Britain shortly after winning £3,500 on Anne Robinson’s TV quiz show The Weakest Link - was photographed walking home with pupils after a day's lessons near Bangkok.

The Sun yesterday passed a dossier of evidence to the Royal Thai Police, who plan to arrest Smith this afternoon.

Police Colonel Jarut Surattuyaporn said: "British police can confirm this man's conviction. We can arrest him, deport him and blacklist from ever coming to Thailand again."

Smith, a former Butlins red coat, was jailed for six months in 2005 after he was convicted at Burnley Crown Court of indecency with a 14-year-old girl.

Sick ... paedo Smith strokes Thai child

Smith - who worked as Accrington Stanley football club mascot Stan the Monkey - was put on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years and banned from working with children in Britain.

He told UK authorities he would be moving to Thailand, which is notorious for its child sex trade.

But there are no laws to prevent sex offenders travelling abroad - and Smith was able to get a job working with kids aged five to 15.

Smith used fake references to get his £300-a-month post at the Nongyai temple school, in a Buddhist monastery 20 miles north of Bangkok.

He claimed he had worked for UNICEF and studied English at Manchester University.

He also gave a reference for a security firm vouching for his good behaviour from 2001 to 2006.

Amazingly, a worried Brit tourist was SNUBBED when he rang the British Embassy in Bangkok to warn a paedophile was working at the school.

The caller, who knew Smith from Accrington, was told to take his complaint elsewhere.

He said: “They did not want to know. I was shocked."

The mum of one of Smith’s alleged victims said: "What is the point of the paedophile register if these people can go to Thailand, a favourite country for paedophiles.

"We have a duty to protect all children."

Smith is the latest in a series of perverts to get a teaching job in Thailand.

They include Canadian Christopher Neil, 32 - known as “Mr Swirly” after posting a distorted picture of himself on the internet.

Thai group Fight Against Child Exploitation thanked The Sun for exposing Smith and said: "Everybody needs to work together to ensure this does not happen again."

- The Sun (UK)

[lopburi3]

Closed and moved to news - please use report function to provide updates.

[george]

Paedophile teacher prompts call for law change

An MP has called for a review of the law after a convicted paedophile was allowed to leave the UK and get a job working with children.

Alan Smith, 53, formerly of Carter Street, Accrington, was jailed for abusing a 14-year-old girl in August 2005 - but now works at a school near Bangkok in Thailand.

Smith is on the sex offenders' register but there is no law to stop a person on the register from moving abroad.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said the situation showed that tighter controls were needed to monitor sex offenders, especially as Thai authorities appeared not to act on British concerns about Smith.

Lancashire police were monitoring Smith and he notified them last November that he wished to move to Thailand to find a bride - and they informed the national Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP).

A spokesman for CEOP said that the Thai authorities were informed "several times" that Smith was a convicted paedophile, but nothing was done.

Mr Pope said that the question needed to be asked about whether Smith's passport should have been confiscated.

He said: "Tackling sex offenders is a very high priority for British police but I don't know how high a priority it is in Thailand.

"Any reasonable person would be concerned that he has been able to avoid the attentions of the authorities simply by moving abroad.

"There is one aspect we could look at and that is whether we could confiscate the passport of known sex offenders, particularly to stop travel outside the European Union."

Smith, who acted as Accrington Stanley's mascot Stan the Monkey before his conviction, has now been spotted teaching English at the Nongyai temple school set in the grounds of a Buddhist monastery 20 miles north of the Thai capital.

He pleaded guilty to indecency with a child after an incident in the kitchen of a pub where he worked in 2005.

Sentencing him, judge Anthony Russell QC said he should be "thoroughly ashamed" after pulling the girl's knickers from her trousers and touching her on her back.

He was due to stand trial for a number of sex offences, but proceedings were halted when he pleaded guilty to the offence.

Smith was ordered to be put on the sex offenders' register for seven years.

The Royal Thai Police are now investigating the sighting of Smith.

Police Colonel Jarut Surattuyaporn said: "British police can confirm this man's conviction and we can arrest him, deport him and blacklist him from coming to Thailand again."

Det Insp Jim Elston of Lancashire Police said: "He was not obliged to inform the police about when he intended to return to the UK but intimated that this would be in April 2007.

"When he did not return, Lancashire police officers alerted the appropriate agencies, including Interpol, in line with agreed national protocols.

"Mr Smith has not breached the requirements of the sex offenders register in the UK."

A spokesman for CEOP said: "Both Lancashire Police and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre passed reports to law enforcement colleagues in Thailand on several occasions alerting them to the presence of the individual.

Sudarat Sereewat, of the Thai organisation FACE (Fight Against Child Exploitation) said: "This is a disturbing case. Everybody needs to work together to ensure this does not happen again."

-- Lancashire Evening Telegraph 2007-12-18

[lopburi3]

Sex case teacher loses his Thai bride and his job

Alan Smith with wife Pach

A CONVICTED child sex offender who was discovered teaching in a Thai school has split from his wife and lost his job.

Alan Smith, formerly of Carter Street, Accrington, said he was now planning to return to the town in the New Year.

The 53-year-old was jailed for sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl in August 2005 - but it was discovered this week that he was working at a school near the Thai capital, Bangkok.

Despite being on the sex offenders register, which forbids him to work with children in this country, UK authorities could not stop him in his new role teaching 10 to 15-year-olds.

But now Smith has revealed that he had been told by the teaching agency that employed him that he must resign.

And he said that he has already packed his bags and is ready to return home, although he said it may not happen until late January when he has raised the funds for the flight.

Speaking from the home that he shared with his new bride Pach, 25, in the northern Bangkok suburb of Ratchadapisek, Smith said: "I have to come back to Accrington because I've got no money and no job."

"My wife won't come with me because she knows how I have been treated in England and hates the country."

"As far as she is concerned it is a vile and disgusting place."

"It is over between us. Maybe in the months and years to come I will be able to come back to Thailand and start my life again with her, but for now my life here has been ruined."

Officers from the National Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre said they told the Thai authorities "several times" Smith was a convicted child sex offender when he went there last November but nothing was done.

Smith, who met his wife shortly after arriving in Thailand and married her in February, said he was not a paedophile and was "giving something back" by teaching disadvantaged children.

Speaking about his teaching role he said: "I did everything by the book."

"I was never left alone in my classes with the children and was doing a good job."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said the situation showed that tighter controls were needed to monitor sex offenders, especially as Thai authorities appeared not to act on British concerns about Smith.

Smith, who acted as Accrington Stanley's mascot Stan the Monkey before his conviction and also worked as a Butlins Redcoat, was teaching English at the Nongyai temple school set in the grounds of a Buddhist monastery 20 miles north of Bangkok.

He pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child after an incident in the kitchen of a pub where he worked in 2005.

He was sent to prison and was placed on the sex offenders register for seven years for pulling the girl's knickers from under her trousers and touching her on the back.

The register is intended to protect the public but cannot be enforced abroad by UK authorities.

- Lanchashire Evening Telegraph / Dec. 22, 2007

http://www.lancashireeveningtelegraph.co.u...and_his_job.php

[lopburi3]

I'll be Santa says British paedo

A paedophile Briton caught by The Sun working as a teacher crowed in Thailand last night: I'm the school Santa.

Pervert Alan Smith, 53, was yesterday STILL employed at the Bangkok school a week after we exposed his vile past.

He grinned: I'm looking forward to dressing as Santa and walking round the school handing out toffees.

As far as I am concerned I've done nothing wrong because I've no convictions in Thailand.

The ex-Butlins redcoat was jailed in 2005 for child abuse shortly after winning £3,580 on Anne Robinson's TV quiz The Weakest Link.

He used fake references to land his £350-a-month teaching post. The Sun tipped off Thai police who immediately visited him at the Nongyai Temple School in a Buddhist monastery but did not arrest him.

Yesterday Smith, who teaches kids aged ten to 15, told how he adores playing Santa. He said: I have been an entertainer all my life and Thai children love me.

The children are always shouting after me: Mr Alan, Mr Alan!

He was sentenced to two months by Burnley Crown Court for indecency with a girl of 14.

Smith, who worked as Accrington Stanley FC mascot Stan the Monkey, is on the Sex Offenders Register in Britain.

He told the authorities here he was moving abroad a year ago. There were no laws to stop him. New wife Pach, 26, is a hostess at a cowboy-themed go-go bar.

Smith, who may yet face deportation, insisted: I want to carry on working with kids."

There's no reason why I shouldn't. I won't walk away from this job. If they want rid of me, they'll have to tell me to go."

I've been to work as normal today. No one said anything to me about my conviction and I didn't feel obliged to tell the headteacher.

Smith was monitored closely in Britain and police warned Thai authorities about him.

Labour MP Greg Pope said: It is regrettable the Thai authorities do not seem to take this man's convictions as seriously as we do in the UK.

- The Sun (UK) / Dec. 24, 2007

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article616892.ece

[sbk]

Paedophile arrested in Thailand

By David Watkinson

A CONVICTED paedophile who was discovered working at a school in Thailand is set to be kicked out of the country after being arrested.

Alan Smith, 53, is being held at an immigration detention centre in Bangkok awaiting deportation after police swooped.

Smith, formerly of Carter Street, Accrington, was jailed for abusing a 14-year-old girl in August 2005 - but got a job at a school near Bangkok, Thailand, last year.

Despite being on the sex offenders register, which forbids him to work with children in this country, UK authorities could not stop him in his role teaching 10 to 15-year-olds.

Smith said that he had been told by the teaching agency that employed him that he must resign.

And now he is being held by immigration officials.

Police Colonel Jarut Surattuyaporn said he has now been blacklisted from the country.

But a decision has yet to be made on whether to prosecute Smith for using false documents to get a job as a teacher and obtain a work permit.

Sudarat Sereewat of the Thai government's child protection unit said: "We are glad this man has been removed from the school."

He said Smith will be sent back to Britain but they he would have to raise the cash himself for the air fare home.

Before Christmas Smith said that he had now spilt from his new Thai bride Pach, 25, and was preparing to come back to Accrington because he had no money and no job.

He said: "My wife won't come with me because she knows how I have been treated in England and hates the country.

"As far as she is concerned it is a vile and disgusting place."

Officers from the national Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre said they told the Thai authorities "several times" Smith was a convicted child sex offender when he went there in late 2006 but nothing was done.

Smith, who met his wife shortly after arriving in Thailand and married her in February, said he was not a paedophile and was "giving something back" by teaching disadvantaged children.

Smith, who acted as Accrington Stanley's mascot Stan the Monkey before his conviction and also worked as a Butlins Redcoat, was teaching English at the Nongyai temple school set in the grounds of a Buddhist monastery 20 miles north of Bangkok.

He pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child after an incident in the kitchen of a pub where he worked in 2005.

He was sent to prison for teo months and was placed on the sex offenders register for seven years for pulling the girl's knickers from under her trousers and touching her on the back.

The register is intended to protect the public but cannot be enforced abroad by UK authorities.

Source: www.lancashireeveningtelegraph.co.uk/display.var.1947215.0.paedophile_arrested_in_thailand.php