Briton jailed for sexually abusing minors in Cambodia

A British man was on Friday sentenced to 18 months in prison by a Cambodian court, for sexually abusing three underage boys.

Roy Sheppard, 77, was convicted of committing "indecent act" against three boys between 12 and 16 years old, in violation of the law on suppression of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, Xinhua news agency quoted a child protection NGO Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE) as saying.

The NGO assisted police in a probe leading to the arrest and conviction of Sheppard.

The court also ordered his deportation from Cambodia after he served his jail term and fined him $1,000 in compensation to each of the victims.

Sheppard was arrested in October last year after ppolice received complaints from the parents of the victims. Later, he was released on bail for health reasons.

Cambodia launched an anti-paedophile operation in 2003 in a bid to end its reputation as a haven for child sex offenders. Since then, dozens of foreigners have been imprisoned for child sex crimes.

--IANS

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