A French fugitive was arrested over alleged child sexual abuse in Thailand.

Yannick Stephane Autret, 44, reportedly bought and raped a 13-year-old girl from her own mother in northeastern Nong Khai province near the Laos border.

He was said to have held the girl captive and sexually abused her before suspicious neighbours reported him to the police. However, he had already fled to Thai 'Sin City' Pattaya when officers raided the property.

Police tracked down the suspected paedophile's location and arrested him in a condo in the Bang Lamung area of the coastal city on June 8.

Footage shows police and immigration officers arresting the tourist, who looked stunned as they read the charges against him.

Police Colonel Saksit Boonserm, superintendent of the Nong Khai Police Investigation Division, said: 'The suspect denied all charges and claimed that he would testify in court.

‘We took him back to Nong Khai for prosecution. In this case, we believe that there were collaborators involved in tricking victims into prostitution. We will investigate further to identify additional victims for legal action.'

Officials said the rescued girl's mother, who worked at a bar, was acquainted with Yannick. She allegedly arranged for her own daughter to provide sexual services to him for money.

Police said they had obtained evidence of the transaction.

Yannick was charged with 'taking away a child under 15 years old from their parent or guardian for an indecent purpose without reasonable cause' and 'having sexual intercourse with a girl under 15 years old who was not his wife, whether or not she consented'.

Officials have not clarified what charges the girl's mother will face.

Underage prostitution is common in Thailand despite government efforts to curb it through strict laws and enforcement initiatives. Driven by poverty, trafficking, and lack of education, vulnerable minors are sometimes forced into the sex industry to earn money.