By The Canadian Press
MONTREAL - Canadian officials say they've been in contact with a Quebec man who has been arrested in Cambodia for allegedly sexually abusing two young girls.
Authorities in the southeast Asian country say Daniel Lavigne, 68, was charged today with having sexual intercourse and committing indecent acts with minors, aged 10 and 12.
MONTREAL - Canadian officials say they've been in contact with a Quebec man who has been arrested in Cambodia for allegedly sexually abusing two young girls.
Authorities in the southeast Asian country say Daniel Lavigne, 68, was charged today with having sexual intercourse and committing indecent acts with minors, aged 10 and 12.
If convicted, he can face up to 13 years in prison.
Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Lisa Monette says Canada is aware that a man has been detained and that an investigation is underway.
She says consular officials have been in contact with the man and that they have offered him their support and assistance.
She would not confirm his identity for privacy reasons.
Soun Sphan, Sihanoukville province deputy police chief for anti-human trafficking, says Lavigne was arrested Monday at a bus station in the southern coastal town about 185 kilometres southwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.
He says Lavigne denied the charges and claimed he was headed to the capital with the two girls whom he treated as his adopted daughters.
Sphan says the girls told police Lavigne had sexually molested them at a guesthouse.
Until a few years ago, poverty and lax enforcement made Cambodia a prime destination for foreigners seeking sex with minors.
Police have since cracked down and several foreigners are serving lengthy prison terms as a result.
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