By Madhuri Dey
New Jersey, Nov. 17, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Wayne Nelson Corliss, a 61 year old man, has been sentenced to twenty years in prison for sexually abusing boys in Thailand. He was allegedly part of a sex tourism ring that operated internationally. The activities of the ring were first noticed by the police when they came across some pictures in the internet of sexual abuse of children as young as six years old. Corliss is a part time actor who currently earned his living by playing the part of Santa Claus and other entertainers in childrens’ parties.

Corliss was arrested in 2008 after an international manhunt that involved the police of several countries. Corliss pleaded guilty, admitting that he had traveled to Thailand at least thrice. He admitted to having sex with at least two boys on these occasions, aged nine and six. He said that he was given access to those boys at the home of a man called John Wrenshall.

He pleaded guilty in the five charges that were slapped against him, including possession and distribution minor pornography, being involved in an international sex racket, and having sex with minors of a different nationality.

The judge said that Corliss’ offense was the most serious and dirty that could be imagined. He predicted that the victims would probably be scarred for life with a memory that is too deep and dark to be forgotten. Corliss could have bee given a longer sentence extending up to 27 years, but the jury intervened, saying that part of his sentence could be remitted on account of the cooperation he had shown in the capture of the others in this case.