Swiss pedophile 'molested' Lombok boys

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian police confirmed yesterday the alleged sexual offenses committed by a Swiss national against local young boys in the last couple of years.

The deputy head of the National Central Bureau of ICPO- Interpol, Col. Wayan Ardjana, said yesterday the suspect who was recently detained in his hometown by Swiss police for pedophilia was identified as Phillip Panchaud.

Wayan told The Jakarta Post that Panchaud, 43, was allegedly involved with boys between the ages of eight and 15 in Lombok, in West Nusa Tenggara.

"He confessed to the Swiss police that he was involved with at least 12 boys here," he said.

"Our joint investigation with the Swiss police of some witnesses in Lombok has so far proved that the suspect had committed sexual offenses against four boys this year alone," he said.

Wayan said the Indonesian police together with the Swiss police flew to Lombok in early October to investigate the case.

Their findings proved that Phillip regularly visited Lombok every year and always stayed at a particular hotel where he met the boys, he said.

He did not provide any further details on the name of the hotel or on how the suspect got involved with the boys.

"According to the four boys, the suspect never forced them into sexual intercourse. It was only limited to oral sex. No sodomy was involved," he said.

Wayan said the boys never reported the suspect's alleged offenses to the police because he apparently never harmed them.

"Those boys just wanted money and presents from the suspect," he said.

He said the boys were given between Rp 5,000 (80 U.S. cents) and Rp 10,000 per session.

He said the motive behind the suspect's acts was still unclear.

Wayan said the Swiss police did not provide complete information on their interrogation of the suspect.

"But they said the suspect had earlier been convicted in three similar cases for sexual offenses against young boys in his country," he said.

Reuters reported last week that the Swiss police caught the suspect near the German border for possessing four magazines which contained pictures of nude boys.

Wayan said police also seized a book which contained the suspect's notes regarding his pedophile acts and some pornographic photos of young boys.

The Swiss police contacted the Indonesian police in August after the suspect confessed his involvement with young boys in Lombok, he said.

Sexual offenses committed by foreigners against young Indonesian boys had occurred here several times, he said.

In 1996, some Australian suspects reportedly ran a pedophile ring in Kampung Kemulah, also in Lombok.

Wayan said the suspects were then deported to be tried in their country.

As of the Swiss suspect, Wayan said the man would also be tried in his own country.

"Confessions from the abused victims from recent interrogations in Lombok have already been translated by representatives of the Swiss police and are ready to be used as evidence in the case," he said. (cst)