American arrested for sex crimes in Thailand and the US

– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: Police have arrested an American man for sex crimes allegedly committed in the United States and Thailand.

Thomas Andrew Erickson, 47, who is also known as Andrew McLean or Barry Stewart, was nabbed in Samut Prakan while in possession of fake US and British passports.

Central Investigation Bureau acting chief Lt-General Prawut Thawornsiri announced Erickson’s arrest yesterday. “On September 15, US authorities alerted us that an American had fled to Thailand to avoid arrest related to sexual and physical assaults,” Prawut said.

After learning that the US has already revoked Erickson’s passport, police also learned that a jewellery shop assistant in Bangkok’s Bang Rak district had lodged a complaint against Erickson in early 2011 over an alleged rape and attack that left her seriously injured.

Prawut said that after having a brush with the law here, Erickson had used a fake British passport to secure a teaching job at a famous school in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

“He later moved to the Rangsit area and then Prawet area, doing a brief stint as an English-language teacher,” the senior officer said. “He also worked as a freelancer for a media firm via an Internet-based contact”.

Prawut said Erickson opened a language school behind Khon Kaen University. “Based on our inquiries, he assaulted many victims in Thailand,” he said. “Some victims were lecturers at famous private and state universities. These victims came to him as they wanted to improve their English skills. After the assaults, they did not lodge complaints because they felt humiliated.”

He said Erickson had bipolar disorder.

— Phuket Gazette Editors