Australian man accused of sexually abusing young girl

An Australian man wanted for sexually abusing a young girl in Australia was arrested in northern Thailand on charges of attempting to rape a 2-year-old girl, police said Thursday. Jason Daron Mizner, 31, was arrested Wednesday in the city of Chiang Mai after his Thai girlfriend informed police he had taken her daughter for an overnight trip Monday and that the child appeared to have been sexually violated. A medical examination of the child confirmed the suspicion, said police Col. Montree Sampunyanoud.

According to police, the couple was living together in the town of Mae Rim, near Chiang Mai, about 580 kilometers (360 miles) north of Bangkok, and Mizner told his girlfriend he wanted to spend the night at an apartment he maintained in Chiang Mai. He suggested he take the child with him so the two could become closer and she agreed, police said.

Mizner, from the eastern Australian state of Queensland, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of attempted rape of a minor and abducting the child from her mother, police said. According to Montree, an Australian warrant was out for Mizner's arrest. He is wanted in Queensland for allegedly taking pornographic photos and molesting a 3-year-old girl, Montree said, reports the AP. I.L.