Cambodia's Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court charged a 66-year-old American man Charles W. Manning and a 24-year-old Cambodian San Veasna with indecent act against minors, which could face up to three years in jail, officials said Sunday.

The two men were arrested on Thursday by the Provincial Anti- Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Police on suspicion of having sexually abused at least three boys, aged between 13-16 years.

The Provincial Court's investigating Judge Y Kheang on Saturday has charged them with committing indecent act against minors and remanded both in pre-trial detention to await trial.

According to police, both suspects have confessed to having had sex with the boys but argued that it was consensual.

Yi Moden, coordinator of child protection NGO Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE) to Preah Sihanouk province, said Sunday that the arrest came as a result of tip-off by the APLE after someone reported to the organization about the two men's suspicious activities.

"Under Cambodian law, the two suspects could face between 1-3 years in jail," he told Xinhua over telephone.

According to a media statement from the APLE on Sunday, investigations revealed that Charles W. Manning came to Cambodia in 2003 where he founded the Victory Baptist Church and taught English and bibles at his church.

Children said that Charles W. Manning tended to bring them to swim at Ream National Park to clean them from their sins, the statement said, adding that police decided to act after the three boys involved confirmed the abuse.