PHNOM PENH (AFP) – Cambodia on Tuesday sentenced an American man to a decade in jail for sexually abusing girls as young as five, the latest effort to punish foreign pedophiles in the impoverished country.
Brian Naswall, the 53-year-old CEO of Aero Cambodia, a small aviation firm based in Phnom Penh, was arrested last year, reportedly in the act of abusing three underage girls.
Since he was detained, a total of nine victims have accused Naswall of abuse. Naswall denied the charges during his trial and claimed the case was fabricated.
But Phnom Penh’s Municipal court on Tuesday found the American guilty of engaging in child prostitution and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
The court also ordered Naswall to pay US$16,000 in compensation, which will be split among eight victims.