An Australian volunteer working in an orphanage in Puri was arrested on the charges of sexually assaulting children of the home, police said on Friday.
The accused, identified as 46-year-old Paul Allen, was tracked down to Andhra Pradesh following complaint by the orphange authorities and brought here yesterday, they said ading that he was remanded to 14 days judicial custody by a local court.
The arrest was made on the basis of a complaint lodged with the police station in Puri by Marry Ellen, founder of
Mary Ellen Berger which runs the orphanage on the outskirts of the town, police said.
Quoting the complaint, the police said Paul had been working in the orphange since its inception in 2002. Mary regularly visits orphanages run by the foundation in Orissa as well as Andhra Pradesh on inspection, they said.
During a visit to Puri last month, she was told that Paul had been indulging in paedophilia with the inmates of the orphanage threatening to remove from the home, they said adding that Paul was staying in a guest house in the premises of the orphanage, housing 85 children, including 45 girls.
After getting complaints from the inmates, aged between five and 18 years, Mary lodged a First Information Report following which police registered a case against Paul for sexual assault, harassment and abuse.
A team was then deputed to Andhra Pradesh to nab the accused, who was also facing similar case in the neighbouring state, police added. Paul and some of the inmates were sent for a medical examination.
