British man detained in Cambodia for sex abuse

A British man has been arrested in Cambodia for having sex with three Cambodian girls.

Michael Julian Leach allegedly paid to have sex with girls between the ages of 10 and 15. He was arrested Sunday at a guesthouse on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh. He was with the girls.

On Friday, a Phnom Penh judge ordered the 50-year-old from London held until his trial.

Samleang Seila, director of Action Pour Les Enfants, a child rights group, said two Cambodian men and a woman who helped procure the girls were also arrested.

Cambodia has long been a magnet for foreign pedophiles because of poverty and corrupt law enforcement. But in recent years police and courts have increasingly targeted sex offenders.

Associated Press

A British man has been arrested in Cambodia for having sex with three Cambodian girls. Michael Julian Leach allegedly paid to have sex with girls between the ages of 10 and 15. He was arrested Sunday at a guesthouse on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh. He was with the girls. On Friday, a Phnom Penh judge ordered the 50-year-old from London held until his trial. Samleang Seila, director of Action Pour Les Enfants, a child rights group, said two Cambodian men and a woman who helped procure the girls were also arrested. Cambodia has long been a magnet for foreign pedophiles because of poverty and corrupt law enforcement. But in recent years police and courts have increasingly targeted sex offenders. Associated Press