American doctor suspected of child sex abuse arrested in St. Petersburg

Officers of the St. Petersburg and Leningrad region police have detained and handed over to their American counterparts a US citizen, a pediatric doctor by profession, suspected of involvement in the sexual abuse of minors.

As reported to a Rosbalt correspondent by law enforcement sources, it has been established that the American visited St. Petersburg and Moscow repeatedly in order to meet minors, for the most part homeless children, or children from orphanages who voluntarily left.

It has been reported that his subsequent actions varied, from promises to feed them and provide expensive presents, to threats of reprisals and the use of psychotropic substances. The minors were brought to rented apartments in St. Petersburg, where they were subjected to depraved acts.

In all, law enforcement agencies in St. Petersburg registered nine such cases, although not one victim reported the crimes to police.

As reported to a Rosbalt correspondent by the St. Petersburg and Leningrad region police, official notification was forwarded April 12 from the US that the suspect, Gregory Ch., had been indicted in connection with new legislation 'On the Prohibition of Tourism for Purposes of Sex with Children.'

According to prosecutors, the collected evidence (including video) was sufficient to convict and sentence the suspect to up to 200 years imprisonment. This is the fifth case where the law has been applied in the United States, and the first where the suspect was handed over from St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg law enforcement sources confirmed that another US citizen suspected of similar crimes would soon be handed over to American authorities.