Convicted pedophile Christopher Neil, 42, better known as "Swirl Face" for the way he distorted his face while posing in child porn, will be living in Vancouver once his prison term is completed this summer.Neil, a former teacher, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison last year for sexual interference involving underage boys in Cambodia, and possessing and accessing child pornography. But with time served, he only has a few months left on that sentence.
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He previously served a five-year sentence in Thailand for sexually assaulting young boys.Neil was given the nickname Swirl Face after authorities released images of him in which his face was swirled—a technique he used to disguise himself in 200-plus photos that showed him sexually abusing children. Unswirled versions of the photos were posted to Interpol's website, and Neil was eventually tracked down and arrested in Thailand in 2007. He was sent to Canada in 2012, where he was arrested again.On Sunday, BC Corrections issued a public notice that said Neil will be living in Vancouver once his sentence is complete.
In a statement to media outlets, Cindy Rose, B.C. Corrections spokeswoman, said Neil is a high-risk offender. She listed the conditions of his release, which include not having any contact with persons under the age of 16; not engaging with anyone under 16 online; avoiding parks, playgrounds, schools, and community centres; and not directing anyone to possess electronic devices on his behalf."[W]e want the public to be aware of this individual's presence in the community and to contact authorities if they observe Mr. Neil engaging in any activity that could be considered a violation of his court order," Rose said.Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.