Australian Father of Thai Surrogate Twins Charged with Sexually Abusing Them

An Australian man has been charged with sexually abusing twin girls he fathered several years ago to a Thai surrogate mother, in another case that casts a harsh light on Thailand's beleaguered surrogacy industry.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was charged in a New South Wales state court last year with committing acts of indecency with a victim under 10 years old, court documents showed on Tuesday. The girls were around 4 and 5 years old, Nine Network television reported.

The charges are the latest blow to the credibility of the commercial surrogacy industry in Thailand, which the Southeast Asian country's military junta has vowed to shut down.

Court documents reveal that the father, aged in his 50s, has also been charged with possessing child pornography materials which were found after a raid on his home, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

The man, who denies the allegations, will go to trial in the New South Wales District Court in the coastal city of Gosford, 45 miles north of Sydney on December 8, documents showed. He is currently...