A British man has emerged as a key figure in Interpol’s successful hunt for Christopher Neil, the convicted paedophile known as Mr Swirl.
In an investigation to be screened on ITV1 at 10.35pm tonight, Real Crime: The Hunt for Mr Swirl, it is revealed that Howard Miller, aged 35, from Southend, received a tip-off that led to the arrest of Interpol’s most wanted.
Christopher Neil, a Canadian, became known as the infamous Mr Swirl after he posted on to the internet more than 200 photographs of himself abusing young boys. Using computer technology, Neil swirled his face to disguise his identity, but Interpol managed to unscramble the image and used it to launch an unprecedented worldwide manhunt.
Neil went on the run from the village in South Korea where he worked as an English teacher, to Bangkok where he was met at the airport by his long-term transvestite lover, a man known only as Ohm.
Ohm and Neil travelled to the Thai coastal resort of Pattaya, and hid in a local hotel, Ben Mansions.
On October 17, 2006, as officers from Interpol and Thailand searched the country for Mr Swirl, Howard Miller received a tip off. Mr Miller, who has lived in Thailand for seven years, is a night-time volunteer with the Tourist Police in Pattaya. He received information leading to Ben Mansions.
“The tourist police were very lucky because we received a tip off from a South African ex-pat that he was actually staying here,” Mr Miller tells the programme.
“We were able to obtain CCTV pictures of him and he was seen to be checking in with his boyfriend Ohm.”
The CCTV showed Ohm writing down his personal details, including his mobile phone number.
General Vishanu Prasatthongosoth, of the Royal Thai Police, says: “We got his telephone number – the mobile telephone number – which we monitor his movement through the telephone, and we knew were Ohm was moving, so we follow him.”
From Pattaya, using that satellite technology, police tracked Ohm nearly 200 miles north to Khorat - his home town, where Neil was arrested two days later.
Christopher Neil pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse on a 13 year old boy when he appeared before a Thai Court in August. He was sentenced to six years six months, halved to three years, three months in return for his guilty plea.
This week, on Tuesday, he will stand trial again on another count of child abuse against a nine year old, which he denies.
In tonight’s programme, Thai Police officers say they hope that once he has faced justice in Thailand, Neil will have to face charges in other countries in Asia.
“Neil was in Cambodia, Neil was in Korea, Neil was in many places,” says General Vishanu. “So we are hoping to receive extradition requests from authorities in countries that Neil had gone to after we have finished with him.”
Interpol Investigative Officer Mick Moran, who co-ordinated the hunt for Neil, tells the programme: “We showed the world and especially people who would abuse children that we are not going to rest at anything until you are locked up.”
For further information please contact Louise Plank on 020 8995 3936 or lou@plankpr.com