A Frenchman was arrested and charged with sexually abusing boys yesterday after a raid on his home in Kandal province.

Philippe Claude Jean Lauwers, 57, who police say came to Cambodia in 2006, faces charges relating to assaults on four boys aged between 9 and 17.

Lieutenant Colonel Ros Savin, chief of the anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection police office in Kandal province, confirmed the Frenchman’s arrest.

“He was officially charged today with sexually abusing the juveniles,” Ros Savin said. “He has been sent to the provincial prison to await his trial.”

Anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection police swooped on Lauwers’s rental house in Kien Svay district, yesterday, and discovered four boys inside, Ros Savin said.

“Lauwers was arrested based on a complaint from [child-protection NGO] APLE,” he said, adding that charges related to numerous incidents involving boys, some which dated back to 2009.

Lauwers often brought boys to his home, gave them food, bought them clothes and gave them money; however, the boys’ families were not aware of the alleged sexual assaults and thought of him as someone who had been generous to the children, Ros Savin said.

Police seized a laptop, CDs, DVDs, two USB flash drives, a digital camera, rolls of film and candy from Lauwers’ house.

Lauwers could not be reached for comment yesterday.