Appeal Court Hears Child Sex Case Involving John Patrick Reidy

 

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

 Phnom Penh Appeal Court yesterday heard the case of an American man who was last year convicted by Siem Reap Provincial Court over child prostitution and producing child pornography in 2019.

Presiding Judge Pov Phousun identified the accused as John Patrick Reidy, 58, a tourist from Massachusetts.

He said Reidy was sentenced on February 26 last year by Siem Reap Provincial Court to eight years in prison.

The provincial court fined him $1,000 and ordered him to pay $5,000 in compensation to the complainant in the case, an underage boy.

The accused was charged with “purchasing child prostitution and child pornography” under Articles 34 and 41 of the Cambodian Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation.

Judge Phousun said that Reidy was arrested on July 19, 2019 by the provincial anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection unit police in Siem Reap city in collaboration with APLE officers at his rental house in Svay Dangkum commune.

He said the accused was arrested after he had allegedly persuaded four Cambodian to have sex with him at his rental house in exchange for some money.

“After having sex with the boys, the accused took photographs of them while they were naked,” Judge Phousun said.

He added that after his arrest and inspected his rental house, police found naked photographs of the boys, including those of the child who disclosed the sexual abuse, as well as other related materials from his house.

During his appeal hearing yesterday, Reidy acknowledged that he had sex with the complainant but said the victim told him he was 19, not 16, at that time. 

He confessed that he had sex with the victim several times in his house before his arrest.

A verdict is due on January 18.






 

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