French businessman nabbed in Pattaya for child sex abuse

French national Jean Eric Lopez, 47, was arrested after the DSI's Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime was informed by representatives of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Thailand and French national police based at the French Embassy  in Thailand that Mr Lopez used to run entertainment venues which offered boy sex trade for hire and the accused himself had sexually abused children.

According to the investigation, the DSI officials found that Mr Lopez is a shareholder in several entertainment venues for homosexuals in Pattaya, which provide children aged between 12 and 20 year-old to the customers.

The Pattaya Court issued an arrest warrant of Mr Lopez on Tuesday and he was arrested hours later.

The DSI operation officials also impounded a number of gay sex CDs and condoms. The French national has been charged with taking indecent liberties with children aged under 18-years-old despite having the child's consent.

The accused denied the charges and was later taken to Pattaya for further questioning.