Cambodian court sentences U.S. man to 2 years in jail for indecent assault against minors

The Cambodia's Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court on Tuesday convicted American national Robert Hays, 56, to two years imprisonment on charges of Indecent Assault with Aggravating Circumstances against two girls, said a verdict pronounced by Judge Nhim Pisal.

The verdict also ordered Hays to pay 500 U.S. dollars compensation to each of the civil plaintiffs and his deportation at the end of the sentence.

After pronouncing the verdict, the court remanded Hays in Preah Sihanouk provincial prison immediately, child protection NGO Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), which assisted the police in the investigation, said in a news statement.

The statement said Hays was a teacher, who taught English to local girls and brought them home and regularly took them out for meals.

"Four girls were initially identified and testified that they had been sexually abused by Hays," the statement said. "After the girls disclosed abuse, two mothers came forward to testify that their daughters had been sexually assaulted and filed a complaint with police."

The statement said a lengthy investigation, carried out by the Cambodian National Police in cooperation with U.S. authorities, had led to the successful prosecution of Hays.

Despite the evidence, Hays was never put in pre-trial detention. Therefore, he was able to freely access children in the community he lived until the trial took place.

APLE's deputy director Khoem Vando said APLE welcomed the decision from the judge to deport Hays after his imprisonment. Endi