American pedophile arrested in Phuket gets 15 years

 

PHUKET: American pedophile Charles Todd Stokes, arrested in Phuket in 2006, was sentenced by a US federal court last week to 15 years in prison for molesting over 70 boys while living in Thailand.

 

Stokes was a gym teacher in Miami, Florida from 1985 to 1998. Fired from his job for inappropriate contact with children, he moved to Thailand where he spent several years and opened a school in Bangkok to continue his depredations.

 

Stokes, now 49, was charged by US authorities in Chicago for moving to Thailand in 2002 to molest young boys until his capture four years later.

 

American immigration agents began investigating Stokes after learning he had a criminal record for child abuse, according to court documents.

 

An independent investigation by Royal Thai Police found young boys had visited his apartment, and teachers at his school said he had inappropriate contact with students.

 

The arrest followed a raid by officers on an apartment Stokes maintained in Pattaya. There they allegedly found around 100 photographs of boys aged nine to 11, both in school uniform and naked.

 

The US Attorney’s Office later found that Stokes had molested more than 70 boys. Most were under 16 and about half under 12, CBS news said in its trial report.

 

After his arrest in 2006, Stokes was returned to the United States to stand trial.

 

Two victims, both 11 year old at the time, flew from Thailand to Chicago to testify against him in a hearing last year.

 

Stokes’ defense in the trial was based on the claim that the search of his home violated his Fourth Amendment rights. The warrant carried by Thai police was not specific enough and the evidence seized should therefore be suppressed, his lawyers argued.

 

In her ruling, US District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer denied this motion, sentencing him to 15 years imprisonment, the maximum allowable at the time his crimes were perpetrated.

 

That maximum has since been doubled to 30 years.

 

Although Stokes was finally arrested in Cherng Talay, there is no evidence in the court record suggesting that he molested children in Phuket.

 

Brought by Phuket Gazette

Wednesday, July 13, 2011, 13:46 local time (GMT +7)

What a pathetic man! Embarrassment to society!

 

They should have booked him in to get the LB operation before sending him back to the US.

 

The dog wouldnt be able to tap into that wank bank and get any enjoyment out of it.

I find paedophilia repulsive beyond words, but I do have a couple of questions regarding this case:

 

1. Why was he tried in US and not Thailand? He had broken Thai law as well I gather. 15 years in a Thai jail might have been a little less comfortable. Also evidence, witnesses etc more easily organised there. If the case had fallen through the US authorities could the have extradited him under the travelling abroad to commit the offence law.

 

2. Can't really understand the 4th amendment defence. Was his attorney that arrogant to think that arrest/search warrants etc. everywhere in the world must comply with some US rules that the rest of the world have neither heard of nor are the least bit interested in? Or was that because the arrest was at the behest of US authorities planning a US trial.

 

Still however and whatever, another paedophile put away, a few more kids protected. That has to be a good result

I wonder how this chap made it out of Thailand alive????

15 years for molesting 70 boy's that is sad, he should never see the light of day

The only saving grace here is that US inmates are brutal too 'Shorteyes', prison slang for pedophiles

Always amazes me how blatant evidence in many cases has to be suppressed because it was obtained illeagally or by deception or what ever other means, it is still eveidence to prove someone guilty, does it really matter how evidence is obtained, ok lets try this if it was eveidence that was going to prove him innocent would he still want it suppressed, Just what the hell is wrong with legal systems in our society, Who have we put in charge of making our laws, and who in their right mind would want to see this cunt back on any street in the world, apart from the fact that this guy is a twat and its obvious enough that he has been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, this is surely a case to bring back the death penalty, these people are a blight on society, I cannot express my feeling about this sort of crime enough, I say hang him, someone else may say hes ill, I say they are not mentally ill its only a poor excuse at getting off, if they are so mentally ill how do they survive in everyday life, another bullshit way of getting off or a reduced sentance or locked away in a nice prison with all the amenities he could want free legal aid free everything. Hope they fuck him up the arse when he's in there.

what really disturbs me about people like this is that a lot of people who don't know any better make the connection between this and anyone visiting Thailand. The first time I went to Cambodia, I think back in 97, it was just crawling with pedophiles. Truly shocking.

sicko he should have got much longer than 15 years that equates to about 75 days per child,

no where near long enough for this kind of sick animal, should have been strung up or fried

ive noticed in the villages a couple of times,thai men with young boys.

i asked the girlfriend with not much response saying,iff he likes he can do.turns my stomach everytime i see it.

maybe thats why it takes so long to catch theese people because people just look the other way.

About two years ago I attended in Pattaya a seminar from ECPAT International.

Despite living in LOS for nearly 15 years, it was a shocking eye-opener for me.

Edited July 14, 201115 yr by Benny10

Always amazes me how blatant evidence in many cases has to be suppressed because it was obtained illeagally or by deception or what ever other means, it is still eveidence to prove someone guilty, does it really matter how evidence is obtained, ok lets try this if it was eveidence that was going to prove him innocent would he still want it suppressed, Just what the hell is wrong with legal systems in our society, Who have we put in charge of making our laws, and who in their right mind would want to see this cunt back on any street in the world, apart from the fact that this guy is a twat and its obvious enough that he has been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, this is surely a case to bring back the death penalty, these people are a blight on society, I cannot express my feeling about this sort of crime enough, I say hang him, someone else may say hes ill, I say they are not mentally ill its only a poor excuse at getting off, if they are so mentally ill how do they survive in everyday life, another bullshit way of getting off or a reduced sentance or locked away in a nice prison with all the amenities he could want free legal aid free everything. Hope they fuck him up the arse when he's in there.

 

I hope I don't sound like I'm defending this guy, because I'm not. But, EVERYONE has the right to a fair trial in the US. The evidence used to convict a person of any crime no matter how heinous should be legally obtained. Yes, it really matters how evidence is obtained. Give him the trial you'd want for yourself if wrongfully accused.

what really disturbs me about people like this is that a lot of people who don't know any better make the connection between this and anyone visiting Thailand.

 

Yes, that's the main problem for me.

And as you mentionned, Cambodia has kept a very bad reputation.

Yes, that's the main problem for me.

And as you mentionned, Cambodia has kept a very bad reputation.

 

 

Furthermore so many of these fuckers have been teachers in Thailand, so that spreads distrust onto all farang teachers as well. It's due to these bastards that we now have to have police clearances for most teaching positions.

I hope I don't sound like I'm defending this guy, because I'm not. But, EVERYONE has the right to a fair trial in the US. The evidence used to convict a person of any crime no matter how heinous should be legally obtained. Yes, it really matters how evidence is obtained. Give him the trial you'd want for yourself if wrongfully accused.

 

Why is that? evidence is evidence Im not talking about something thats concocted here, I am talking about eveidence that will lead to either conviction or inocence matters not how EVIDENCE is obtained its still EVIDENCE. Far to many criminals are back on the streets because their lawyer argued that some evidence was obtained illeagally or for some stupid reason it is inadmissable, the legal system is up the wall and I for one am always concerned when I hear this argument put forward, I have seen many cases where the guy is smirking in court when he is guilty, but had got off because of a loophole in the law. This cunt was obviously trying it on also but luckily this time it didnt work, and he's where he belongs. Sadly not for long enough.

 

However, so what you are saying is that had his lawyer been successfull in having the EVIDENCE thrown out thats would have been ok????? you say everyone is entitled to a fair trial, what about the people he treated unfairly, its a legal system that is up the wall