Swiss pedophile Hugo Stephan Leuthold (C) is escorted by security personnel at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post

An elderly Swiss national with a history of pedophilia charges was accused in the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy.

Hugo Stephan Leuthold, 81, was arrested on June 11 at a hotel room in the capital’s Daun Penh district on pedophilia, disobedience and illegal immigration charges.

According to the alleged victim’s testimony, Leuthold met the boy outside Phnom Penh’s Naga World casino and lured him into a boat on the river by offering him $20.

He then allegedly took the boy to a nearby hotel and sexually assaulted him.

“He asked me to take a bath and played with my penis, but we didn’t have sex,” the boy said.

This is the third time in two years Leuthold has been arrested on pedophilia charges.

On September 30, 2010, he was arrested in Thailand by Pattaya tourism police after paying a 12-year-old 500 baht  in return for oral sex. He was granted bail, however, and fined nine million baht.

Nearly three months later, Leuthold was arrested on Christmas Day in Sihanoukville on pedophilia charges and later sentenced to 10 months in Preah Sihaouk prison after sexually abusing four boys between the ages of 11 and 13.

Although denying the pedophilia charges, he pleaded guilty to entering the country illegally by crossing the border at Cham Yeam in a taxi.

“I reject the allegation of committing pedophilia at a hotel room because I actually had a stomach ache,” he said.

Defence lawyer Dun Vibol asked the court to drop all charges because of his client’s age.

The verdict will be announced on September 14.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Yuthana at [email protected]