British Columbia

Christopher Paul Neil, convicted sex offender, faces 10 new charges in B.C.

Authorities in British Columbia have laid 10 new charges against convicted sex offender Christopher Paul Neil after conducting investigations into his activities in Vancouver, Maple Ridge and Cambodia.

New allegations stem from investigations in Vancouver, Maple Ridge and Cambodia

Notorious child predator in court

11 years ago
Duration 2:15
Christopher Neil, known as 'Swirl Face', facing 10 new charges

Authorities in British Columbia have laid 10 new charges against convicted sex offender Christopher Paul Neil after conducting investigations into his activities over the past 10 years in Vancouver, Maple Ridge and Cambodia.

Neil became known as the "Swirl Face" sex abuser for digitally altering his face in images posted online, but was identified and arrested in Bangkok in 2007.

The most recent alleged incidents took place in 2013 in Vancouver.

A Vancouver Police Department investigation led to four charges against Neil, 39, related to possessing and accessing child pornography. The other charges resulted from an RCMP investigation.

Christopher Paul Neil is shown arriving at a criminal court in Bangkok in October 2008.

"The charges laid today are the result of years of work in support of our efforts to identify and charge those involved in tourism for the purpose of committing sexual offences against children," said acting Supt. Ward Lymburner, who is in charge of the RCMP's special projects unit in the B.C. major crimes section.

Neil faces one count each of production of child porn and possession of child pornography relating to incidents that allegedly occurred in 2007 in Maple Ridge.

He also faces two counts of sexual touching and two counts of invitation to sexual touching stemming from alleged incidents in 2003 in Cambodia. None of the allegations have been proven in court. 

In 2007, German specialists working for Interpol 'unswirled' and recovered this image of a man's face from photos posted online depicting the sexual abuse of children. The man was later identified as Christopher Paul Neil. (Interpol)

Neil was arrested Tuesday and is being held pending an appearance in provincial court.

The Criminal Code gives Canadian authorities the power to investigate and prosecute certain offences, such as child pornography and the victimization of children, committed by Canadian citizens in other countries. 

Neil was convicted of a series of sexual offences involving children in Bangkok in 2008.

He sparked a worldwide Interpol manhunt when German police were able to unscramble internet photos of him sexually abusing boys in Southeast Asia.

He was returned to Canada in September 2012 after serving his sentence in Thailand, and has been subject to a series of conditions ever since.

Before his arrest overseas, the former Maple Ridge resident worked as a teacher in several parts of Asia dating back to 2000. He had also worked as a part-time teacher in B.C.