A British tourist has been arrested for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl in Thailand after he was tracked down by UK police.
Luke Adam Lawrence, 30, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, was identified by National Crime Agency (NCA) detectives in London over an alleged video of a schoolgirl being abused.
Officers worked with local police and tracked Lawrence to the “Sin City” seaside resort of Pattaya, where he was living with a Thai girlfriend.
Armed police stormed his rented home in the Private Paradise Pattaya condominium block on Tuesday morning, December 3.
The images show Lawrence leaving the bedroom shirtless, followed by his partner in a light blue silk nightgown. A translator in a blue denim jacket was present, reading the charges to the suspect.
The officers ordered Lawrence to kneel before confirming his name. He reacted by saying “what, wow, wow” as the charges were read.
Reading the judicial arrest warrant, the translator says: ‘Based on the illegal conduct that you have committed, there has been a charge of rape, statutory rape, of another individual, by force, by threat, by application of threats and force, violent threats . and violent force, to a person who was in a position that he could not resist, or a person who could not defend himself.
‘In addition, against a minor under 13 years of age, who is not his wife, is not his legal wife.’
Luke Adam Lawrence, 30, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, was identified by National Crime Agency (NCA) detectives in London over an alleged video of a schoolgirl being abused.
Officers worked with local police and tracked Lawrence to the coastal resort ‘Sin City’ of Pattaya, where he was living with a Thai girlfriend.
Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) issued a press release confirming that the suspect had been identified by the NCA in England for the sexual abuse of the child.
The translator continued: ‘Even if that child agreed or not, this conduct has been committed against a child who has not reached the age of 13, so even if the child agreed or not with it, the child “He was in a situation where he couldn’t defend himself or do anything about it.”
Lawrence was then formally arrested for the alleged rape of the young man, whom he is said to have met through a friend. They rushed him into a waiting police van.
Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) issued a press release confirming that the suspect had been identified by the NCA in England for the sexual abuse of the child.
Officers said the investigation was launched when the NCA claimed to have traced child abuse content to Lawrence’s phone.
One clip allegedly showed him raping a young Southeast Asian woman, which they believe happened in Thailand.
UK police then contacted officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division in Bangkok. Thai police said they analyzed the images and compared them to different locations in Pattaya and social media posts to find Lawrence.
They claim to have identified the victim as a seven-year-old girl who was abused when she was six years old. They believe Lawrence had connections to the alleged victim’s mother.
An arrest warrant was issued for “rape of a minor under 13 years of age” and Lawrence was captured at 7:15 am. He was handcuffed and taken to the Anti-Human Trafficking Division for legal action.
A clip allegedly shows him raping a young Southeast Asian woman, which they believe happened in Thailand.
UK police contacted officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division in Bangkok to find Lawrence.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Kiatkong Thongkham of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division said: ‘The suspect denied all charges and refused to testify during the arrest. He was detained at the police station.
Investigating officers later informed the schoolgirl’s mother about the arrest. They allegedly presented evidence and she filed more complaints to add to the charge sheet.
The CIB said in a statement about the case that local women should “be careful” of foreign men who visit the country looking for a bride.
They said: ‘This is a warning to Thai women seeking foreign partners through various online channels, to beware of the dangers of pedophilia, which is a mental disorder that causes sufferers to become sexually interested in children who They have not yet reached puberty.
“It is very important to be aware of and protect yourself from the dangers that can arise from those who behave in this way.”