Convicted child abuser Peter Dundas Walbran arrested teaching at Thai school

[optad]

Good advice. I will restrain myself until I know the facts.

RTCO, don't let me discourage you. I think you should ask the questions of the school. And they should be in a position to answer. It is good that parents do so. 99% of the time everything checks out but good to know what systems are in place.

What you will find though is that, schools and teachers often do not follow these protocols for two very different but equally alarming reasons. Many tesol type teachers will fail police checks for inconsequential reasons, i.e they have a financial defaults, or an alcohol related offence which may prohibit them if it is known and so find places that do not enforce this. The school just does not want to know what is the MOE routinely become lax about.

My point is that is all fine until, there is a problem. Like this bloke. Everyone points the finger, systems become everyone else's responsibility. And that is why these blokes end up in these countries.

I think you should ask.

Edited December 9, 2015 by optad

[bazza40]

Just how many more of these twisted people are here in Thailand teaching or having access to young children? I really wish the international community would work more closely together when it comes to crime and especially those already with serious criminal charge sheets.

A simple loophole allowed this creep to get a NZ passport - if NZ had known about his past, would they have issued him with a passport? And frightening to see that neither Immigration, the Ministry of Education nor the school even googled his name.

What loophole was that? How did an Australian citizen get his hands on a NZ passport? Something wrong with the system.

[justaphase]

So what's with the eye scanning at the airport? Doesn't that pick up convicted paedos?

Maybe no batteries in them.

Tit

[Benmart]

I applaud the arrest of any criminal. Regardless of this man's past convictions, the charges in Thailand are yet to proved in court. Therefore, I read and wait for the slow wheels of justice to turn. Hopefully, the other self-anointed and self-appointed judges will take a personal inventory and wait in turn.

[Strangebrew]

I thought Muslim countries were strict like steal cut off hand

[novo58]

I had once thought of getting a teaching job here in Thailand .................................

But obviously I DONT the right qualifications.

[Tom Cahill]

Jailed in 2012 for rape and molestations of minors and his already out? and in Indonesia

who is known for stiff penalties? something not right here......

Tough on catching them. Tough penalties if you don't pay them off in which case you get a year or so, and then you're out. If you look here:

NGO http://aplecambodia.org/

there's an NGO which is tasked with catching them in Cambodia, but look at some of the sentences that some of them get. Now there's a network across SEA, so it's a bit odd that he's managed to remain below the radar for so long, as they'd know about him. Probably he's paid off the police or someone to look the other way. The NGOs get more money the more then convict, so they're very good on the one hand, but on the other they're sometimes operating stings on people who're just suspect, and there's obviously a danger that where there's a profit motive, if there's a higher bidder, some of the 'helpers' won't be as reliable as they would be if they weren't getting money based on results, as they can get a higher offer.

[catman20]

Jailed in 2012 for rape and molestations of minors and his already out? and in Indonesia

who is known for stiff penalties? something not right here......

off with his balls

[ratcatcher]

I thought Muslim countries were strict like steal cut off hand

Cut off the hand of a thief. What do you suggest they cut in the case of a paedophile?

[Jiggo]

What a "NONCE".....

[ripstanley]

Just how many more of these twisted people are here in Thailand teaching or having access to young children? I really wish the international community would work more closely together when it comes to crime and especially those already with serious criminal charge sheets.

A simple loophole allowed this creep to get a NZ passport - if NZ had known about his past, would they have issued him with a passport? And frightening to see that neither Immigration, the Ministry of Education nor the school even googled his name.

What loophole was that? How did an Australian citizen get his hands on a NZ passport? Something wrong with the system.

He has dual nationality. NZ and Australian. That is how he obtained a NZ passport.

This was interesting in the ABC news article.

Police had waited for a new law against child pornography to come into force in Thailand this week before moving in on Walbran.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-09/paedophile-working-at-thailand-school/7013858

Edited December 9, 2015 by ripstanley

[Michael8511]

How does such a sick creature get into the country past immigration never mind getting a work permit to teach children would be better for all concerned and for the safety of children if he was just put down like a rabid dog.

New Zeeland was generous to give him a new passport, don't blame this on the Thai immigration. In other countries a sex offender will not get a passport, they get time to serve instead.

[Si Thea01]

I often give credit where credit is due to the various government departments here in Thailand but this is now becoming a joke. How did this piece of excrement ever get into Thailand, let alone land a job teaching. This needs to be investigated thoroughly, hopefully by someone who has some nouse. And please don't tell me there isn't one.

Everyday we are reading this criminal here, that criminal there, it's about time someone in Immigration got serious, if they are capable, and get their act together and try to stop these low lifes coming here. We don't need them, neither does the country. I see there a a couple on here who are actively involved in trying to put an end to these paedophiles and good luck to them in their endeavours. It's just that these low lifes are being protected by many in power why, because they're in on the act too. I know what I'd like to do to these mongrels but unfortunately, I'd end up having a holiday in the Bangkok Hilton if I did.

[SOTIRIOS]

Goes to show you that Thai schools are very desperate to have a native speaker in their school that they can not and do not do a back ground check on any of them.

...goes to show the level of incompetence of people in important positions in many Thai schools...

...kiss *ss and they like that.....

...be obviously better than them...get slandered and fired....

...then they hire scum like that....

....no wisdom...no insight.....just ego rules....

[CharlieH]

Various posts removed.

Off topic/language/inappropriate.

[carlyai]

How do these guys even get through the system? What a shame

I'd say pretty easy.

He is a science teacher, and completed his doctorate, and became a Principal of the Australian International School Jakarta.

He has the credentials.

Everyone new he was gay back then, and the school management seemed to hire gay people. It's not that every gay man goes after underage arse, but if you have an inclination, like Peter and a few others did, then Indonesian is or was a ripe place to be.

He used to holiday in Lombong, one of the islands of the coast near Bali, and it was rumored then that he had a preference for young boys.

It seems Penny, the owner of the AIS Jakarta and Bali, woke up and purged the school of these animals, why she hired them in the first place is beyond me, but again, he had the credentials, as did the other animals.

I would say if you did an investigation on Lombong you would find plenty of victims, but I just speculate.

For me he was an insignificant person, but the management and senior staff thought he was great, and I had to work for him being a teacher at the Australian International School Bali, not Jakarta.

If you have 'some type of credentials', a doctorate would be super, you can get hired probably anywhere in Asia as a teacher.

Once in Bali (a long time ago before Royal Commissions etc) I did complain to the then Principal, that I saw a male teacher in his classroom with the door shut, teaching a young boy who was sitting on his lap.

The Principal said. if it was a woman with a young boy on her lap would you complain?

Well I probably wouldnlt have. As it's like a mother figure.

So that was the thinking back then, that no one would take advantgage of young children.

How the thinking has changed.

[Daniel Boon]

bullet

[Si Thea01]

I applaud the arrest of any criminal. Regardless of this man's past convictions, the charges in Thailand are yet to proved in court. Therefore, I read and wait for the slow wheels of justice to turn. Hopefully, the other self-anointed and self-appointed judges will take a personal inventory and wait in turn.

Of course he's innocent until proven guilty but if you knew anything about paedophiles, then you would know that they are like leopards, they never change their spots. I, for one, cannot accept anyone giving time to this particular piece of excrement. I see that he is a dual citizen, OZ/NZ and if I am correct used his new NZ passport to enter Thailand. One has to ask why, was it to conceal his prior activities carried out in Indonesia whilst travelling on his OZ passport. What would you say? My post is not about guilt or otherwise, he is a convicted paedophile, and can get a new passport, a new job with children. I just hope, if you have young childrfen, they never experience any meetings with paedophiles. What would your post be then?

[maewang99]

he probably already received his "Teachers License" as well. the official one that is obtainable by spending 2 weeks in Bangkok learning about Thai culture. although all you really need is to hear about this story, in a few sentences.... and not have to travel to Bangkok at all, but then you don't have an official certificate for the school to fend off... ooops I mean.... show off to the school children's parents if they come in to comment about this or that about this or that. hey! he's got a Teachers License! oh, I'm sorry.... someone wonders how a guy like this can get into a Thai public school??? why would they need to issue any "Teachers License" at all if they, their ministry's schools, are hiring the dude? it's fake. up and down fake.

Edited December 9, 2015 by maewang99

[technologybytes]

Much as I dislike child sex offenders, I think the details of this story are too confusing. I cannot imagine how someone can be convicted of rape in 2012 and now being free and working as a teacher. Until we have more information, this man deserves the benefit of the doubt and an opportunity to defend himself.

At the very least he has the right to be innocent of any offences in Thailand until proven otherwise.

[optad]

He is filth sure. But the Thai school and the MOE system did not do the checks. This could have easily been discovered.

Phrase it differently, when any industry and serious money get together they get serious about qualifications and vet everything. This was not an international school and as mentioned above this guy was over qualified. They not want to go past 'sign here'.

You have got to have systems you can trust and use them.

There is more of them out there.

[Kasset Tak]

One problem is that many Thais and Thai teachers are no better! I have experienced that more than one time by myself:

* When I got my first teacher job (matheum) here in Thailand, the PE teachers in the school told me which students who where selling sex for grades and money.

* In one college that I worked at, the Thai PE teacher got one of the students pregnant. They are now married....

* One of my Thai friends lost her husband so she re-married with a former student... same month he graduated from matheum 6.

* I know both lesbian and gay Thai teachers who are having affairs with their students. It's known and accepted in their schools as they are same sex couples...

[simon43]

... that I saw a male teacher in his classroom with the door shut, teaching a young boy who was sitting on his lap.

Although that type of behaviour is positively discouraged in many schools, (because it can lead to false accusations etc etc), it does not follow, (unless you have evidence), that the teacher was a pedophile.

If it was acceptable behaviour for a female teacher, why not a male teacher?

I agree that we must all be vigilant to protect our kids from pedophiles, but as a male teacher, I can certainly understand why there is a dearth of male primary grade teachers.

Do the background checks, don't tar all male teachers with the same brush.

[Prbkk]

I applaud the arrest of any criminal. Regardless of this man's past convictions, the charges in Thailand are yet to proved in court. Therefore, I read and wait for the slow wheels of justice to turn. Hopefully, the other self-anointed and self-appointed judges will take a personal inventory and wait in turn.

Of course he's innocent until proven guilty but if you knew anything about paedophiles, then you would know that they are like leopards, they never change their spots. I, for one, cannot accept anyone giving time to this particular piece of excrement. I see that he is a dual citizen, OZ/NZ and if I am correct used his new NZ passport to enter Thailand. One has to ask why, was it to conceal his prior activities carried out in Indonesia whilst travelling on his OZ passport. What would you say? My post is not about guilt or otherwise, he is a convicted paedophile, and can get a new passport, a new job with children. I just hope, if you have young childrfen, they never experience any meetings with paedophiles. What would your post be then?

Well, indeed. What I don't get...in the context of hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on child protection around the world, probably billions..is why there cannot be a viable, reliable international database of child sex offenders so that schools can check directly on prospective employees and visa issuers can do likewise. Surely every country would subscribe in order to minimise the risk of it happening. Certainly parents would be reassured by it.

It's a sad and sorry state of affairs when there is a 'smell' about any male teaching young kids even though sex offenders probably account for 0.0001% of those in the (honourable) profession.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Prbkk

[Kasset Tak]

I often give credit where credit is due to the various government departments here in Thailand but this is now becoming a joke. How did this piece of excrement ever get into Thailand, let alone land a job teaching. This needs to be investigated thoroughly, hopefully by someone who has some nouse. And please don't tell me there isn't one.

Everyday we are reading this criminal here, that criminal there, it's about time someone in Immigration got serious, if they are capable, and get their act together and try to stop these low lifes coming here. We don't need them, neither does the country. I see there a a couple on here who are actively involved in trying to put an end to these paedophiles and good luck to them in their endeavours. It's just that these low lifes are being protected by many in power why, because they're in on the act too. I know what I'd like to do to these mongrels but unfortunately, I'd end up having a holiday in the Bangkok Hilton if I did.

Immigration in all countries will only check you against lists from Interpol and the national police. They don't have access to your criminal records in other countries. If you want them to check all people coming here then all of us would need to have a new police clearance from all countries we lived in when applying for our visas or when we arrive at the border.

According to Thai law you need a police clearance when you apply for your Non-B if you are a teacher. That has not been strictly enforced and this year was the first time I have ever been asked for one when applying for my visa. As I did not have a PCC from my home country they told me that a PCC from Thailand was enough as I have been here for the past 4 years. A Thai PCC was 100 Baht and I got it in 1 week, get a PCC from my home country would be about 2000 Baht and take up to 3 months!

Edited December 9, 2015 by Kasset Tak

[optad]

... that I saw a male teacher in his classroom with the door shut, teaching a young boy who was sitting on his lap.

...

If it was acceptable behaviour for a female teacher, why not a male teacher?

...

It is not a philosophical issue Simon, just a matter of pragmatics. Ethical situations now extend to circumstances that these people have affected. And rightly so.

Edited December 9, 2015 by optad

[bongoz]

This has prompted me to check the farang teachers at my daughters school. Get the names ... easy to do a quick Google search. Any problems found ... I will personally deal with them!!!

I would ask the school if they have done "police checks" both locally and abroad. Teachers are technically supposed to have this documentation in Thailand. Certainly Aust registered teachers must have these checks in place and updated yearly. Also, they must have by law a police check from every country in which they have resided for twelve months or more. No school, especially those "international" orientated schools should have an excuse for this. Indeed with my name you can access the registry yourself as you should be able to do. [if it is an international school check its affiliations and employment requirements. If you cannot find these spelt out, they don't exist]. The problem here is that this guy has been removed form the registry but no one checked and he has most likely used old documentation.

But having said that, in 2010, i did catch an older British teacher downloading masses of pornography at a school in Thailand. So sordid. He was sitting behind another teacher who had his two sons in prathom classes with him!! I put my foot through his desk and dispatched him. I must say the Thai teachers were only moderately interested, and actually more concerned how to replace him. [it was around xmas]. Some teachers wont pass a character test let alone higher professional standards asked.

nothing is as it seems ... someone without a criminal record just hasn't been caught yet...

[Bernie9366]

How does such a sick creature get into the country past immigration never mind getting a work permit to teach children would be better for all concerned and for the safety of children if he was just put down like a rabid dog.

As far as I`m concerned, that is and always will be the ONLY solution to what to do with pedophiles. It`s as simple as this, it`s impossible for them to re offend when they`re dead.

[Sawan Chan 7]

Not many compassionate posts here. This guy is mentally sick. I think most of these types were themselves victims.

Pedophilia is termed pedophilic disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), and the manual defines it as a paraphilia in which adults or adolescents 16 years of age or older have intense and recurrent sexual urges towards and fantasies about prepubescent children that they have either ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilia

[maewang99]

analogies don't always work very well.. but I think I got one. we can assume this dude had a teacher's license.... you need one now, right? well, imagine an airline company deciding to issue Aircraft Mechanic Licenses. to get one you spend two weeks learning how to properly use a napkin to wipe yourself with. okay. so how doesn't this analogy work for a "Teachers License" issued by the same Ministry that employs the same people they issue the 'licenses' to? and then telling everyone from Immigration to the school's PTA group that the dude has a "Teachers License" but just kind of leaving out sometimes maybe the little factoid that to get that certification meant spending two weeks in Bangkok learning about "Thai culture".... and you are surprised by a story like this???? hellooooooo?

Edited December 9, 2015 by maewang99