Police in Siem Reap city arrested a 64-year-old Norwegian man late Wednesday, alleging he sexually abused four boys, law enforcement and anti-pedophile NGO workers said yesterday.
Rolf Sletten, originally from Oslo, was detained at about 11:30 pm at a convenience store in Svay Dangkum commune, provincial anti-human trafficking police chief Sun Bunthorng said.
Mr Bunthorng said the police zeroed in on Mr Sletten when they interviewed a boy leaving the guesthouse room of the suspect. Mr Bunthorng said the boy was inside the room from 30 minutes to one hour and allegedly told officers he had sex with Mr Sletten and was paid $40.
Mr Bunthorng said the man would likely appear before the court today to be charged, marking the province’s first case of pedophilia this year.
“It was the first case of this year in Siem Reap,” he said, adding in 2009 police handled three investigations involving foreign child sex suspects.
Mr Bunthorng said a search of Mr Sletten’s room at the guesthouse turned up sex toys, condoms and the illegal drug ecstasy in both pill and liquid form. Other unidentified pills and liquids were also found in the room, he said.
Seila Samleang, country director for anti-pedophile group Action Pour Les Enfants, said four boys, ranging in age from 11 to 14 years old, reportedly told police they took part in sexual acts with Mr Sletten and were sometimes paid in return.
He said the organization first began monitoring Mr Sletten about one year ago after he was seen in contact with a number of the city’s homeless children. However, he said the boys living on the streets were reluctant at first to speak with officials from APLE.
“They were trained to be very cautious when talking to strangers,” he said.
He said Mr Sletten has lived in Cambodia for between two and three years though he was known to take trips back home to Norway and spend time in Phnom Penh.
