A British pedophile has been allowed to walk free yesterday after the Siem Reap Provincial Court convicted him of indecent acts against children – then gave him a suspended jail term.

British national William Freeman, 58, who has resided in Cambodia since May 2011, was found guilty of molesting two brothers, aged 6 and 14, judge Hok Pov said.

Both victims testified in court that Freeman invited them to his home, showing them pornographic material on his cellphone, and then touched their genitals. He denied all charges.

Despite the urging of the prosecution, his sentence does not include deportation, according to Khoem Vando, project officer of children’s rights NGO Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE).

The time between his arrest in March and his release on bail in May will serve as his time in jail.

The rest of his sentence is suspended.

To contact the reporters on this story: Thik Kaliyann at [email protected]

Rachel Will at [email protected]