Long-time Seattle resident charged in Thailand sex tourism case

Story Updated: Jun 22, 2010

SEATTLE -- A retiree from Seattle already imprisoned in Thailand is facing federal sex tourism charges on allegations that he bought sex from girls as young as 11.

Glenn Richard Allen, a 63-year-old raised in the Seattle area, was indicted in U.S. District Court earlier this month by a Seattle grand jury.

Federal authorities claim Allen was caught with 200 to 300 DVDs showing himself sexually abusing Thai children at his condominium in the resort town of Pattaya City, located outside of Bangkok.

Thai authorities investigating child prostitution in the country arrested Allen, a Canadian-born U.S. citizen, in 2007 alongside two British men and a Finnish citizen. Several girls identified Allen as having paid them for sex; four victims are identified in charging papers.

Already sentenced to 16 years in a Thai prison, Allen is accused of paying a "procurer" to bring children to him.

"Allen made it clear that he preferred females, approximately 12 years old," an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent investigating the case said in court documents, recounting the statements the "procurer" made to authorities.

"Allen also instructed her that if asked why she was bringing children to his residence to say that Allen was providing English lessons," the agent continued.

Thai investigators searching Allen's apartment found hundreds of homemade videos showing the abuse of the girls, the ICE agent told the court. No count of the number of children shown being abused was provided to the court.

Speaking with investigators, Allen said he'd moved to Thailand in 1997 after retiring from a communications equipment company. Records showed he returned to the Northwest several times a year prior to his arrest.

The indictment follows a similar action recently taken against 59-year-old Kent resident Craig Thomas Carr, who was arrested in Cambodia and charged in U.S. District Court with sex tourism-related crimes. Prosecutors in that case contend Carr paid for sex with Cambodian children.

Emily Langlie, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western Washington, said Tuesday that Allen remains in Thai custody.

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