Accused pedophile's family wants return to Canada

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - The family of accused pedophile Christopher Neil is relieved he has been taken into custody, and his brother said on Friday he would like to see Neil returned home to Canada.

Neil's family had urged him to surrender after learning he was the focus of a worldwide manhunt, and Matthew Neil said the family would not abandon Christopher now that he has been arrested in Thailand.

"He looks tired," Matthew said of the pictures of his brother after the arrest by Thai police. He said he "cannot imagine" what is going through Christopher's mind.

Matthew said the Neil family, which lives in the Vancouver area, has not spoken to Christopher since his arrest.

"I would like to see him come back to Canada, but I understand it is an international incident and allegations," he told reporters, saying the issue was up to Thai and Canadian authorities.

Christopher Neil became the subject of an unusual global search after German investigators used unscrambling technology and identified him as a digitally disguised face in Internet photos involving child sex abuse.

Neil was teaching in South Korea when his then-unidentified image was distributed by police worldwide in early October. The image helped police learn his name, but by then he had fled to Thailand where he had taught previously.

British Columbia Attorney General Wally Oppal disclosed on Friday that Canadian police have been investigating Neil, apparently for complaints in the Vancouver area where he also worked as a teacher.

Matthew Neil said he had been unaware of the Canadian investigation. "I don't know what to think... It's even more shocking as it progresses," he said.

No charges have been filed against Christopher Neil in Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police refused to comment on the case on Friday.

It is illegal for Canadians to visit other countries for the purpose of having sex with children, but the five-year-old "sex tourism" law has been rarely used and questions have been raised about its constitutionality.

It was too early to speculate if Canada would attempt to extradite Neil, Oppal said.

Matthew Neil, who has acted as the family's spokesman, said the past week has been "surreal"

"You see lots of these stories on the news, but you never think you're going to be part of it," he said.