Allegedly having sex with underage children in a foreign country may lead this B.C.-based man to be charged with sexual abuse in Canada. Read on for his profile.
Christopher Paul Neil, 32, from Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada, has been plunged into the media spotlight with a request from Interpol to speak with him regarding several alleged cases of sexual abuse with male minors in Asian countries. Under Canadian law, Canadians living abroad who commit sexual abuse can be tried and prosecuted in Canada for their crimes.
History of Interpol's Search for Christopher Paul Neil
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Interpol has been searching for Mr. Neil for the past three years, after discovering more than 200 photos on the internet depicting sexual contact between a man and twelve young Asian boys. The man in the photos had been disguised through a digital swirl, but the photos were later decoded by German police and posted to internet by Interpol, asking the public for help in identifying the man in question. After posting the photos, more than 200 tips were submitted to Interpol in less than twelve hours.
Four days later, the man was identified by friends and family as Christopher Paul Neil. The police were unable to question Neil however, as it was discovered he had flown to Bangkok on a one-way ticket and haven't been able to locate him since. Friends nor family have heard from Neil since August of 2007, when he left B.C. to teach English in South Korea, as he had been doing on and off for the past five years.
Concerns Regarding Christopher Paul Neil's Contact with Canadian Children
When Neil decided he wanted to become a Catholic priest, he attended school at Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, B.C. but was not recommended for the priesthood. Instead, Neil decided to get into teaching and received his independent teaching certificate soon thereafter.
Neil then worked as a chaplain and counselor with Canadian military cadets in Fort Qu'appelle, Saskachewan, Cornwallis Park, Nova Scotia, and Greenwood, Nova Scotia from 1997-2000 according to the Canadian Department of National Defense. From 2000 to 2001 Neil worked as a teacher with St. Patrick's Catholic School in Maple Ridge, B.C. Afterwards, Neil moved on to teaching English overseas for five years, before returning to visit his brother, Matthew Neil, 30, from February to August of 2007. During that time, Neil taught briefly at Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School in Port Coquitlam, B.C.
No reports of child sexual abuse have been made in Canada at this time, although Canadian authorities have openly stated that if Interpol does contact Mr. Neil to speak with him regarding these allegations, they will extradite him to Canada for prosecution. No formal arrest warrants have been made.
Anyone knowing the current whereabouts of Christopher Pail Neil have been asked to contact the Interpol office in their country directly.
Disclaimer: The author of this article went to high school with Christopher Paul Neil.
