American wanted on sex charges arrested in Kampot

American national Samuel Douglas Lovejoy, 31, was arrested in Kampot on Tuesday. He is wanted on suspicion of aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties with a child in the US. CPU

An American wanted by US officials on suspicion of sexually abusing a minor in the state of Virginia was arrested in Kampot yesterday.

Samuel Douglas Lovejoy, 31, was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery and two counts of indecent liberties with a child by a custodian by the Loudon County Circuit Court in Virginia.

A spokeswoman for the Commonwealth’s Attorney of Loudoun County said one of the sexual battery charges dated from October 2016, while the other three charges dated from last August.

Lovejoy also faces one count of failure to appear after he did not show up for a court date last February.

Kampot Provincial Police Chief Mao Chanmathurith said Cambodian officials found and arrested Lovejoy at the request of US authorities. Lovejoy is not suspected of committing any offences in Cambodia, he said.

"We detained him immediately and we did not ask any questions from the suspect,” Chanmathurith said. “We sent the above suspect to the General Department of Immigration to settle the situation.”

Lovejoy was found at Kampot town’s fish market in Kampong Kandal commune, according to Chanmathurith.

Contact authors: Daphne Chen and Soth Koemsoeun

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