MOE Language Centre’s French teacher arrested in Bangkok for child rape

SINGAPORE — A 51-year-old Frenchman, who taught French in Singapore, has been arrested in Bangkok for paying for sex with teenage boys.

Thai news website, The Nation, reported on Wednesday (Feb 6) that Jean-Christophe Marie Georges Quenot was nabbed in a hotel room in the Thai capital on Monday.

Responding to media queries, Singapore’s Ministry of Education confirmed that Quenot is a teacher in the French department at the MOE Language Centre. A ministry spokesperson said it is doing “internal checks” amid the investigation by the Thai authorities.

The spokesperson said the ministry “takes a serious view of misconduct by our staff and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who do not adhere to our standards of conduct and discipline”. In serious cases, their service may be terminated, she added.

A computer notebook, a memory card, two hard disks, a camcorder, camera, mobile phone, eight packs of Kamagra oral jelly (a cheaper version of erectile dysfunction drug Viagra) and 36 condoms were seized during the arrest, said the Thai police.

Quenot had allegedly picked up boys aged between 13 and 15 at the Huay Kwang Stadium for sex, The Nation reported.

A teenage boy's father had reported to the authorities that his son had gone missing and Thai police said that they had traced the teen to the Frenchman’s hotel.

Quenot was allegedly caught with two 14-year-old boys — not including the boy whose father made the police report — during the police raid.

The Nation reported that officers found a tripod in the room, along with a computer with pornographic films for the boys to watch with Quenot.

Police also said they found a video of the suspect having sex with a teenage boy.

The two boys reportedly told police that Quenot invited them via Facebook to have sex with him for 800 Baht to 1,000 Baht (S$35 to S$43).

Quenot reportedly told Thai police that he taught French in Singapore and had over a year ago befriended boys at the Huay Kwang Stadium by volunteering to teach them English and football.

As he grew closer to the boys, he invited them to have sex with him for cash and would record the acts, the police said.

According to the police, the suspect had previously entered Thailand 10 times, and stayed at a hotel for around five days each time. AGENCIES