The Central Investigation Bureau, on Saturday, arrested a British citizen identified as Iain Robert Cole, 50, (passport number 511123659) on the charge of sexually exploiting under-age male children from Kathmandu.
The Central Investigation Bureau, on Saturday, arrested a British citizen identified as Iain Robert Cole, 50, (passport number 511123659) on the charge of sexually exploiting under-age male children from Kathmandu.
Following a tip-off, a team of officials from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), on Saturday morning, raided Cole’s rented apartment in Kalimati, Kathmandu. Cole was arrested along with two of his Nepalis helpers. The CIB found three under-age children in the apartment.
“As per Cole, this is his 16th time in Nepal. He has accepted all the charges of sexually exploiting children every time he came to the country,” Superintendent of Police Uma Prasad Chaturvedi of CIB told the Post.
Cole had recently entered Nepal on 29 December 2018. The CIB is currently gathering Cole’s arrival and departure details from the Immigration Department. According to the CIB, Cole has been entering Nepal with different people most the time. The one with whom Cole entered Nepal this time has already left the country.
As per the investigation and according to Cole’s confession, his major intention of coming to Nepal was to exploit children for sexual pleasure. According to the investigation, Cole, before entering the country, used to rent apartments online in different parts of the Valley. At these apartments, he would sexually exploit children. His target would be children below 18 years of age, who came mostly from impoverished backgrounds, such as street
children and children from rural areas.
In an effort to ‘groom’ them, Cole used to buy expensive clothes, feed them good food and convince them to come with him to his apartment, by promising them a better future. After Cole would be successful in luring the children to his apartment, he would make the children sleep together and then sexually exploit them, according to CIB officials. Cole also used to take children for trips to places like Pokhara and Nuwakot.
Cole also used to visit rural areas in districts around Kathmandu, such as Dhading, and convince parents to send their children with him, by promising the parents their children were in good hands.
The CIB team found mobile phones, tablets, bicycles, and pills, such as Zenegra (one of the most widely prescribed erectile dysfunction pills), from the apartment during the raid. “Cole used to show children expensive mobile phones and bicycles, and would promise them that he would gift those things to them if they did not share his activities outside. He even gave them money on a regular basis to keep their mouths closed, and sometimes threatened them too,” said Chaturvedi.
A bit of information the CIB found that is rather surprising is that whenever Cole returned to Nepal, children who were previously sexually exploited by him often visited him themselves. The CIB stated that this behaviour by the children reflect how much control Cole had over the children’s psychology.
“The racket seems to be big. He had good connections with some Nepalis, including taxi drivers and hotel people who used to deliver children to Cole,” said Chaturvedi. “People who were related to the children would also supply Cole with children, it seems. He had created a web of close connections, and he would often send these people money even while he was abroad.”
According to the CIB, the information they received from the Interpol shows that Cole was once arrested in London as well, in a case of child pornography. The CIB is still digging into Cole’s previous records with help from the Interpol.
As per the statement of some of the previous victims of Cole, who were found by the CIB, Cole also used to film himself with his victims.
“Cole’s arrest will be helpful in uncovering more of his connections. There are still many such rackets running in the country run by foreigner’s,” Chaturvedi told the
Post. “The legal process has started against Cole and the two aids arrested are being interrogated.”
The CIB has requested the general public, parents and relatives to not allow their children to be with anyone without knowing them properly just for economic aid.
In the last two years, the CIB has arrested and filed a case against nine foreigners and three Nepalis in paedophilia charges.
Nayak Paudel covers sports for The Kathmandu Post. He previously worked at the Post (2018–19) and spent over five years at The Rising Nepal. His reporting spans crime, health, education, and social issues.
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