Aust man in Thai court on porn charges

A 62-year old Australian man arrested in Thailand on child pornography charges is due to appear before a Thai court following a joint operation by Thai and Australian police.

Stephen Le Cornu, was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday at his Bangkok residence by a team of 30 police and officers of related agencies involved in the investigation into alleged child molestation.

Media reports said Le Cornu, who has retired, confessed to posting online pornography but investigators found no other evidence linked to abusing children.

According to investigators Thai authorities were tipped off by Queensland Police as part of Task Force Argos, which investigates online child exploitation and abuse.

Queensland police investigators allegedly identified Le Cornu in known online chat rooms posting very explicit stories about child sexual abuse as well as posting images of young children.

Thai based investigators said the Queensland authorities had informed Thailand's Department of Special Investigations (DSI), within the Ministry of Justice, and an arrest warrant was issued.

Le Cornu is expected to be charged with offences under Thailand's Computer Crimes Act, including possession of child pornography, which is punishable with a prison term of up to five years and a fine of over $A4100.

Legal sources said Le Cornu, if found guilty, is expected to face a jail term.

Last December, 59-year-old Australian teacher, Peter Dundas Walbran, with dual New Zealand travel documents, was arrested in northern Thailand on suspicion of child sex offences.

Walbran, the former head of an international school in Jakarta, had served a two-year prison term in Indonesia over charges of rape and molestation of Indonesian boys, some under the age of 10.

Following his arrest in Thailand, Walbran was deported to New Zealand after entering Thailand on his New Zealand travel documents.