A Cambodian court has sentenced a British man to a 12-year prison sentence for sexually abusing three underage girls.

Michael Julian Leach was arrested last September after he was discovered living with the three girls aged from 10 to 15 at a guest house on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

In addition to his jail sentence, the 51-year-old Leach has been ordered to pay at least $3,000 in compensation to each of the girls.

Cambodia has launched a crackdown on sex offenders in recent years as it tries to overcome its reputation as a magnet for pedophiles.