Kathmandu, December 9

The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police has arrested American citizen Jason Lloyd Moody on the charge of sexually abusing three girls below 11.

The 40-year-old resident of Illinois was arrested from Room No 104 of Memorable Guest House near Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu yesterday in a ‘compromising position’ with two 10-year-old girls, according to police. Moody, who has been visiting Nepal since 2014, faces charges of sexually abusing at least four underage boys as well.

Police had intensified search for Moody five days ago after getting a tip-off that an American was luring young boys into a hotel in the airport area. “But we were not able to nab him initially as there was no trace of boys who had fallen victim to paedophilia,” CIB’s Superintendent of Police Bel Bahadur Pandey said. “Luckily, we came across a girl, who looked frightened and behaved in a suspicious manner. She told us she had been sexually abused by a foreigner and had escaped from his clutches.”

That girl led police to the hotel. Police entered Moody’s room on the first floor of the hotel by breaking through the back door. Moody was seen hastily putting on his clothes and was asking two other minors to do the same after police barged in, according to Pandey.

“One of the girls confirmed that Moody had raped her. How the other two girls were abused is still unclear,” said Pandey. All the girls are undergoing medical check-up. “Albeit Moody has refused to undergo medical test,” said SP Pandey.

Two of the rescued girls are Indian cousins aged 10, while one is a nine-year-old Nepali. All of them live in a squatter settlement on the banks of the Bagmati River, a few hundred metres from the airport area.

Parents of one of the girls have formally lodged a police complaint accusing Moody of raping their child. Two other parents have accused the American of attempting to rape their children.

“We have come to know that Moody has abused four other boys as well,” said Pandey. “We are trying to find those victims who also reside in the squatter settlement near the airport.”

Moody, according to Pandey, was well known in the squatter settlement, where he used to distribute food, chocolates and money among children. “He was thus welcomed by children’s parents, most of who are daily wage earners.”

Moody is a frequent visitor to Nepal. He first visited the country in June 2014 and stayed here for a month. He returned to Nepal in August 2016 and stayed here till December. He made a third visit to Nepal in January 2017 for a period of three months. The last time he arrived in Nepal was in August 2019. He has since been living here and has also joined Biswo Bhasa College to study Nepali language.

Prof Subodhshukla Yajurveda recalled seeing Moody a few times in the college. “But he was not a regular student and did not communicate much with friends or faculty,” he said.

Besides his passport, police have confiscated two additional US passports from Moody’s hotel room, along with a laptop, ATM cards, credit cards, cheques and an identity card issued by Biswo Bhasa College.