Connect with us

Crime

Falsely Accused Charity Worker Ian Charles Tracy Released from Thai Prison

Avatar of CTN News

Published

on

Jailed: Ian Tracy, who spent 14 months in a Thai prison after wrongly being convicted of being a pedophile – Photo Andrew Drummond

 

PATTAYA – British charity worker Ian Charles Tracy who was falsely accused of being a paedophile and jailed in Thailand for four years has been released on order from the Thai Supreme Court.

Ian Charles Tracy, 47, was released from Nong Plalai Prison, Pattaya, just before the New Year after spending a squalid 14 months in the prison being treated as a child sexual abuser.

Wanted: Andrew Tracy from Wickford, Essex, who has been arrested in Thailand for child sexual abuse and alleged attempted murder of a boy under the age of 15 – Photo Andrew Drummond

He was mistaken for a wanted British man with the same surname, Andrew John Tracy from Wickford, Essex – who has been arrested for child sex abuse and attempted murder of a juvenile.

Speaking during an interview in Pattaya, innocent Mr Tracy from Godalming, Surrey, said: ‘My whole life has been ruined.

‘I have been accused of the vilest of crimes when all I have done is to try to help people.

‘I now have to take steps to recover my name in a case which is appalling in the nature of its corruption.

‘I have been treated worse than scum. I would never consider abusing a child. In fact the charities I worked for had programme for children but I did not want to get involved because I did not have the training.

‘The police knew they had the wrong man. But insisted they go ahead with the prosecution. I told them they would have to make it all up – and they did.’

According to Thai Police, Ian Tracy was originally arrested as part of an Operation Naga – an act of international co-operation between Britain’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Unit (CEOP) which came under the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Royal Thai Police.

In a glaring case of rough justice, Mr Tracy was put in jail in place of Andrew Tracy – whose whereabouts is currently unknown.

Mr Tracy was jailed despite the fact that the 14-year-old boy he was accused of abusing told the court he had never seen the man before in his life.

Mr Tracy was acquitted of the crimes at earlier trial and was not informed that the decision had been reversed following an appeal by the prosecution.

Mr Tracy was working in Pattaya as a volunteer for charity The Mercy Centre and another charity called Hand In Hand.

Through work, he had visited foreign prisoners in Thailand. As a result he had himself had been critical of the Thai police accusing them of setting up innocent people with child sex abuse charges.

Mr Tracy was arrested on the premises of Brian Goudie – whom he thought was a British barrister and former Captain in the Royal Marines and who was going to help with his case.

Goudie has since proved not to be a lawyer but former prisoner of Hakea Prison, West Australia, who was jailed for six years for stealing 400,000 Australian dollars from his employers – a mining company.

A previous warrant for Goudie’s arrest for an alleged fraud on the Royal Bank of Scotland has since expired.

He has also been accused of swindling the American mother Barbara Fanelli Miller, from Madison, Wisconsin out of the equivalent of $300,000 while representing her as a ‘British barrister’.

The last known appearance of Andrew Tracy was when he was spotted by Briton Lee Booty, from Bethnal Green, a property developer who was driving past a wooded area near Pattaya when he saw Tracy trying to strangle a young boy with a belt.

Mr Booty said: ‘I accompanied police with Tracy and a boy to the local police station at Sattahip near Pattaya.

‘I stayed to give me statement. After I did I saw Tracy walk out of the police station. The translator said he had paid police 300,000 Thai baht (around £6000 at the time) bail.’

Goudie was not available for comment. Unlike Tracy he has been given bail and is believed to be on the holiday island of Koh Samui. – Andrew Drummond

Continue Reading

CTN News App

CTN News App

Recent News

BUY FC 24 COINS

compras monedas fc 24

Volunteering at Soi Dog

Find a Job

Jooble jobs

Free ibomma Movies