Cambodian authorities may finally begin looking for Interpol red-listed pedophile Pieter Ceulen, as officials confirmed that Belgian court documents including a conviction and arrest warrant were forwarded to the National Police yesterday.

On January 21, Ceulen was sentenced in absentia to 19 years in prison by a Belgian court for sexual assault and producing child pornography in Cambodia and the Philippines. That same day, he was sighted by neighbours at his Siem Reap villa.

Speaking yesterday, Kris Luyckx, an attorney for Belgian child protection organisation Child Focus, said his group – spurred by perceived inaction by Cambodian authorities – initiated a request to have a Belgian liaison officer forward “all the court documents from the prosecutor to the Cambodian police”.

“They don’t have any excuses now,” he added. Lim Sokha Reaksmey, director of the Kingdom’s Interpol department, yesterday confirmed receipt of the documents and that they had been sent to the National Police.

Reaksmey said the delay was “because it is not our side that issued the red notice, it is Belgium, and we need to get their documents before we can start our work”.

Doung Theavry, head of anti-human trafficking police bureau in Siem Reap, yesterday evening said they had not yet received a warrant.