Australian biological father of Baby Gammy has child indecency conviction: Local media

The Australian father in the furore surrounding Baby Gammy, seen here with Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua, has allegedly been convicted of child indecency, Australian media reported. -- PHOTO: AFP
The Australian father in the furore surrounding Baby Gammy, seen here with Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua, has allegedly been convicted of child indecency, Australian media reported. -- PHOTO: AFP

SYDNEY - The Australian biological father in the Baby Gammy surrogacy furore has allegedly been convicted of child indecency, Australian media reported.

The revelation has prompted the baby's Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua to demand Gammy's twin sister be returned to her.

Channel Nine reported that the Australian man was in 1998 convicted of an indecent act involving a child under 13 and has served a prison term. The report claims his wife knows of the conviction, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Seven-month old Gammy has been at the centre of a surrogacy controversy after reports emerged that the Australian couple flew to Thailand and took the boy's healthy twin sister at birth, but rejected Gammy who has Down syndrome.

The biological parents of Gammy have not been named but the media is focusing on an address in Western Australia.

When told of the biological father's reported child-indecency conviction, Ms Pattharamon called for his sister to be brought back to her in Thailand.

"I am in shock after hearing this story," she told Fairfax Media from the hospital where a critically unwell Gammy is being treated for a lung infection. "I am very worried about my baby girl."

"I need help from anyone who can bring my girl back to me as soon as possible . . . this news make me sick.

"I will take care of my twin babies. I will not give her or him to any family that wants a baby.

The Australian couple on Monday denied they abandoned Gammy and said they did not know he existed.

Pattaramon however claimed that the father came to a Bangkok hospital after she gave birth and saw both the girl and Gammy, but only took the girl back to Australia.

The case has also sparked fevered debate on the moral and legal grounding of international surrogacy, with Australians who travel overseas to side-step domestic restrictions falling under the spotlight.

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