Czech man accused of AIDS offence held in Thailand

BANGKOK — Thai police said on Wednesday (Jan 18) that they have arrested a Czech man wanted in his country for allegedly having unprotected sex with several people, including a minor, while being aware that he had AIDS.

Zdenek Pfeifer, 49, from north-east Bohemia, was picked up on the resort island of Phuket on charges of overstaying his visa, said deputy police spokesman Krisana Patanacharoen.

Police acted on a notice issued by Interpol on behalf of a Czech court seeking help in arresting Pfeifer, who faces charges of battery, sexual abuse, spreading disease and distributing pornography, Mr Krisana said. The offences carry a maximum sentence of 12 years.

He said Pfeifer had been living in Phuket on a tourist visa which expired in 2015. He was to be taken to court later on Wednesday to be charged with overstaying his visa, which would allow him to be deported.

“He overstayed in the country for more than 500 days, so that’s against the immigration law here,” Mr Krisana said.

The Interpol notice says Pfeifer was informed in 2013 that he suffered from AIDS, but that he went on to have unprotected sex with many men in the Czech Republic over the next two years before fleeing to Thailand.

“At least in one case he infected his sexual partner,” the notice says. “One of the men was a minor and the wanted person paid him money for sexual intercourse with him and recorded the intercourse” to make a pornographic video, it says.

Mr Krisana said there haven’t been any complaints against Pfeifer in Thailand but police are looking into the case in more detail. AP