Pedophile monk who impersonated royalty defrocked

PHNOM PENH - A Buddhist monk has been defrocked for having sex with children, pretending to be a member of the royal family and cheating people out of money, a Cambodian newspaper reported Tuesday.

Duong Chi Voan, who served as monk in Mt. Kulen, some 48 kilometers northeast of Siem Reap, was defrocked on Saturday after local government authorities discovered he had engaged in sex with young boys, Rasmei Kampuchea reported.

The monk had reportedly used the false name Sisowath Socheatra -- Sisowath being one of two main branches of Cambodia's royal family -- and claimed to have magical powers.

He cheated locals out of money, telling them the money would be used for religious purposes but actually using it for himself, the report said.

In recent years, a number of monks have been exposed for having broken their vows of celibacy by having love affairs or for watching pornographic films or entering nightclubs.

Ninety percent of Cambodians are Buddhists, and some 50,000 Buddhist monks live in nearly 4,000 temples nationwide.