British Airways pilot in dock for 'arranging to bed teen boys during stopovers in India'

A British Airways pilot allegedly arranged to meet up with underage boys for sex during his stopover in India.

According to prosecutors, former captain Bartle Frere, who used to take he boys back to his hotel room, is said to have tried to re-arrange his flight schedule to the Far East so he could meet up with one boy, the Mirror reported.

Frere also begged the victims to send him naked pictures of themselves, repeatedly telling them that he loved them and texted one to say he liked "big boys".

The 50-year-old, who was arrested for indecent assault, gross indecency and child porn offences dating back to 2001 on November 10 last year as he arrived back in the UK following a flight to Bangkok, Thailand, has been charged with five counts of arranging or facilitating sex with children between 2007 to 2013.

Cops seized his mobile phone and found that the day before his arrest he had searched the internet for the term 'where to pick up underage boys in Bangkok' and discovered messages on Frere's computer which he had apparently sent to three young Indian boys arranging to meet them in Chennai, one of the main cities on British Airways' routes.

Frere is also charged with five counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16, one offence of indecency and two more serious offences with a boy under 16. These relate to offences that allegedly happened in Dorset between 2001 and 2003 and with possessing six indecent photographs of children - found at his home - and making four indecent photographs of children.

In addition, Frere is accused of committing two other offences involving a different complainant between 2012 and 2013.