Alexander Trofimov a Russian national sits outside a courtroom in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, March 14, 2008. A Cambodian court sentenced Trofimov to 13 years in jail Friday for sexually abusing an under-aged girl, making him the second foreigner convicted of such a crime this week.(AP Photo)Thu Mar 13, 2008
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A Cambodian court sentenced a prominent Russian investor to 13 years in jail on Friday for the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl, the latest foreigner to be caught in the country's drive to stop child sex tourism.
The lawyer for 41-year-old Alexander Trofimov, who signed a $300 million deal in 2006 to develop a luxury tourist resort, said the ruling would damage Cambodia's investment reputation.
"My client is a high-profile man. He should not be sentenced by just one girl who pointed a finger at him," lawyer Ouch Sophal told Reuters.
"The court decision will send a bad message to foreign investors," he said, adding his client would appeal.
Chief Judge Ke Sakhan said the court had sufficient evidence to convict Trofimov, who did not speak to reporters in court.
A Cambodian man was also sentenced to 11 years in jail for providing the girl to the Russian businessman.
Poverty-stricken Cambodia has long had a reputation as a haven for pedophiles, due in large part to its corrupt police force and courts. Child rights groups are campaigning hard for Phnom Penh to take the problem seriously.
(Reporting by Ek Madra; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Alex Richardson)
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