http://www.youngpap.org.sg/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5969Thursday August 4, 2005
Lecturer in sex case on the run
THE Singaporean lecturer arrested in Bangkok for allegedly trying to buy sex with underaged boys over the Internet has missed his court date and is on the run.
Darwis Rianto Lim, 31, who taught at Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Applied Science, was caught by Thai police in a hotel room in April.
Lim said in May that he was innocent and had been set up.
On Monday Lim’s lawyer Kanchit Sakdayot appeared in Bangkok Criminal Court and said Lim could not be located, despite several attempts.
Kanchit last saw his client in court on June 13 and last spoke with him on the phone in the last week of June.
Lim also failed to show up in court on July 18.
Kanchit said: “The court will now apply for a warrant of arrest for him as he has failed to show up twice. His 300,000 baht bail which was placed by his mother will also be forfeited.
“I don’t know why he would run away as he had a fighting chance.”
Lim has his passport and it is not known if he has left Thailand.
He was arrested at about 2.30pm on April 24, shortly after arriving in Bangkok.
Thai police officers from the Crime Suppression Division said that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents had been monitoring Lim.
Lim had allegedly posted notices on the Internet offering US$200 for sex with a boy aged between 12 and 16.
The US officers had found Lim while they were trawling the Internet for paedophiles.
The Crime Suppression Division’s Lt Kitti said: “They contacted us and told us about the case. One of them acted as the pimp and we met him and the three boys at the hotel lobby.”
Lim is said to have chosen the boy – a 17-year-old student – paid 8,000 baht and taken him to his hotel room on the eighth floor of the Grand Hotel.
Lt Kitti said: “About five minutes later, we knocked on the door. He opened the door and looked shocked. The boy was sitting on the bed.”
Thai police Lt-Col Pol said: “The US authorities also told us Lim had also asked for sex with a young girl for another day.”
Two micro-cassette tapes – alleged recordings of Lim’s conversation while buying sex – have been submitted as evidence by an US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer to the Thai police.
Lt Kitti said the tapes are now with the Thai Criminal Court. – The Straits Times/ANN