CHIANG MAI -- A former foreign monk was arrested on child pornography charges on Wednesday and many indecent images of children were seized from his house in Fang district.
Fabian Frederick Blandford, 64, a British national, was apprehended at his home in tambon Wiang by officers from the Department of Special Investigation and other agencies.
The search of his house was led by DSI Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau director Pol Lt Col Paisith Sungkahapong. British police were present to observe the search.
The officers found many indecent images of children allegedly taken by Mr Blandford. The images were kept in his computers.
He was taken to Fang police station to face charges of possession of child pornography.
Under child-pornography legislation, which came into force on Dec 7 last year, those found in possession of child porn materials face up to five years in prison, and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht.
According to the DSI, Mr Blandford had previously been ordained as a monk in Chiang Mai, but left the monkhood to marry a Thai woman. The couple had one child.
The former monk had been close with local children in Fang and taught them English. He reportedly speaks good Thai.
The arrest came after US Homeland Security investigators contacted the DSI in November last year after the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children found pornographic images from an IP address used by Mr Blandford.
The DSI launched the investigation that led to the arrest of the former monk and teacher.