THE British director of a private English-language school in Phnom Penh has been

detained in Kandal provincial prison after he was caught allegedly making an obscene

video of four young Cambodian girls he had drugged in a public park in Takhmao town

about 20 kilometers south of Phnom Penh.

John Keeler, 55, was arrested on August 26 by military police who say they caught

him in the act.

Two 10-year-old girls, an 8-year-old girl and a 7-year-old girl were lured with candy

and 1,000 riel to make a "filthy video-film", the Commander of Gendarmerie

of Kandal Province, Chuon Sovvana, told the Post.

His activities had been spotted by passers-by who notified the police.

Sovvan said he immediately ordered his men to bring Keeler and the four girls to

the military police station for questioning, where the full story emerged.

"The four girls told me during a questioning that before making a film the foreigner

gave them a candy and a thousand riel and each girl confirmed that they received

an injection," said Sovvan.

He said that the military police confiscated a motorbike, video camera and film,

knife and some medicine from Keeler's bag.

The military police later watched the tape, which Sovvan said corroborated the children's

statement. He said Keeler had the children expose themselves and perform obscene

acts.

"I think that it is a very obnoxious and filthy film of Cambodian girls under

13 years old," he said,

A doctor examined the girls and confirmed that there were marks on their arms consistent

with them having been given and injection.

Police said they were now waiting for the results of tests on blood taken from the

girls before they could confirm drugs had been administered. However the girls' behaviour

seemed consistent with having been drugged.

"I don't know a reason why the girls just 10-years-old would do such things.

They don't know about sex," said Sovvan.

"I'm not sure, but when I watched the tape thoroughly I suspected that maybe

there was some kind of drug involved."

Police said Keeler had been in Cambodia for ten months. He is the director of the

London School of English, on Street 208, in Beoung Rang commune, Daun Penh district,

Phnom Penh.

A court official in Kandal province who asked not be named said Keeler would now

be detained in Kandal Province's prison for four to six months while an investigation

took place.

He said Keeler, 55, was charged with acts of pornography involving children under

Article 8 of Cambodia's Law on Human Trafficking and Exploitation, which allows for

prison terms of 10 to 20 years.

He said the British Embassy had found a lawyer, Keo Kimsan, from the Angkor Law Group,

to act for Keeler.