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Child sex tourism (CST) is tourism for the purpose of engaging in the prostitution of children, that is commercially facilitated child sexual abuse.[1] Child sex tourism results in both mental and physical consequences for the exploited children, that may include "disease (including HIV/AIDS), drug addiction, pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and possibly death", according to the State Department of the United States.[1] Child sex tourism, part of the multibillion-dollar global sex tourism industry, is a form of child prostitution within the wider issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Child sex tourism victimizes approximately 2 million children around the world.[1][2][3][4] The children who perform as prostitutes in the child sex tourism trade often have been lured or abducted into sexual slavery.[5][6][7]
Users of children for commercial and sexual purposes can be categorized by motive. Contrary to popular belief, pedophiles (those who actively seek out prepubescent children for sex) are not the majority of users. There are preferential abusers, that is those who may prefer children because they perceive the risk of disease to be lower (for example, the risk of HIV). There are also situational users, those who do not actively seek out children but for whom the actual act is opportunistic; there may be a lack of concern to check the age of a prostitute before engaging in sexual activity. The majority of the exploited children are under 12 years old.[4]
Pedophiles use the Internet to plan their trips by seeking out and trading information about opportunities for child sex tourism and where the most vulnerable children can be found, generally in areas of low income.[4] Many governments have enacted laws to allow prosecution of its citizens for child sexual abuse committed outside of their home country. However, while laws against child sex tourism may deter situational offenders who may act impulsively, pedophiles who travel specifically for the purpose of exploiting children are not easily deterred.[4]
Child sex tourism has been closely linked to poverty, armed conflicts, rapid industrialization, and exploding population growth.[8] In Latin America and Southeast Asia, for instance, street children often turn to prostitution as a last resort. Additionally, vulnerable children are easy targets for exploitation by traffickers.[8]
Child sex tourism has also been complicated by varying ages of consent laws where, for example, the age of consent is 13 in Japan while it is 21 in Bahrain. See Ages of consent in Asia
Thailand, Cambodia, India, Brazil and Mexico have been identified as leading hotspots of child sexual exploitation.[9]
In Thailand, the exact number of child-prostitutes is not known, but Thailand’s Health System Research Institute reports that children in prostitution make up 40% of prostitutes in Thailand.[10] In Cambodia, it has been estimated that about a third of all prostitutes are under 18.[11][12] In India, the federal police say that around 1.2 million children are believed to be involved in prostitution.[13] Up until recently Brazil has been considered to have the worst child sex trafficking record after Thailand.[14] As per Chris Rogers report on BBC World[15] "Now Brazil is overtaking Thailand as the world's most popular sex-tourist destination". DLN reports that "Brazil at the moment is on a high trend of child sex tourism and is all geared to take up the first spot beating out Thailand." [16]
Sex tourism targeting children creates huge monetary incentives for traffickers. Human trafficking impacts an estimated 1.2 million child victims.[17][18] The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) recently stated that 79% of all global trafficking is for sexual exploitation, which is one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world.[18]
UNICEF notes that sexual activity is often seen as a private matter, making communities reluctant to act and intervene in cases of sexual exploitation.[18] These attitudes make children far more vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Most exploitation of children takes place as a result of their absorption into the adult sex trade where they are exploited by local people and sex tourists.[18] The Internet provides an efficient global networking tool for individuals to share information on destinations and procurement.[18]
In cases involving children, the U.S. has relatively strict domestic laws that hold accountable any American citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. who travels abroad for the purpose of engaging in illicit conduct with a minor.[19] However, child pornography, sex tourism and human trafficking remain fast-growing industries.[19] Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. recently introduced H.R. 1623, the
Under the PROTECT Act of April 2003, it is a federal crime, prosecutable in the United States, for a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien, to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign country with a person under the age of 18, whether or not the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident alien intended to engage in such illicit sexual conduct prior to going abroad. For purposes of the PROTECT Act, illicit sexual conduct includes any commercial sex act in a foreign country with a person under the age of 18. The law defines a commercial sex act as any sex act, on account of which anything of value is given to or received by a person under the age of 18.[46] Before congressional passage of the Protect Act of 2003, prosecutors had to prove that sex tourists went abroad with the intent of molesting children—something almost impossible to demonstrate. The Protect Act shifted the burden, making predators liable for the act itself. Penalties were doubled from 15 years in prison to 30.[6]
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 enables British citizens and residents who commit sexual offences against children overseas to be prosecuted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.[42][43] Similar provisions are in force in Scotland under the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995.[44] Some of the offences carry penalties of up to life imprisonment and anyone found guilty will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register. The UK police and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and Interpol are actively involved in monitoring child sex tourists and do prosecute. There are in 2013 two British citizens in jail following trials based on this legislation, Barry McCloud and David Graham.[45]
The South Korean government has yet to take significant punitive actions against South Korean men who solicit child prostitutes in other countries, though the problem of South Korean male child sex tourism as a problem is widely known outside of South Korea.[36]
The Prevention of Child Pornography Ordinance (Cap. 579) of December 2003 introduced offences in regard to child sex tourism, giving extraterritorial effect to 24 sexual offences listed in a new Schedule 2 to the Crime Ordinance (Cap. 200). This makes illegal an act committed against a child outside Hong Kong if the defendant or the child has connections with Hong Kong. It is also an offence to make any arrangement relating to the commission of such acts against children and to advertise any such arrangement.[41]
Canada has included in its Criminal Code provisions that allow for the arrest and prosecution of Canadians in Canada for offences committed in foreign countries related to child sex tourism, such as child prostitution, as well as for child sexual exploitation offences, such as indecent acts, child pornography and incest (Bills C-27 and C-15A that came into force on May 26, 1997, and July 23, 2002, respectively).[40] Convictions carry a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
The maximum penalty is 20 years imprisonment (25 years imprisonment if the child is under the age of 12 and/or mentally handicapped) and/or a fine of up to $500,000 for an individual, and a fine of up to $5 million for companies or corporations.
Australia was one of the first countries to introduce laws that provide for jail terms for its citizens and residents who engage in sexual activity with children in foreign countries. The laws are contained in the Crimes (Child Sex Tourism) Amendment Act 1994 that came into force on 5 July 1994.[39] The law also makes it an offence to encourage, benefit or profit from any activity that promotes sexual activity with children.
A growing number of countries have specific legislation that prosecutes their citizens in their homeland should they engage in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign country with children. (The following list is not exclusive)
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or “ICE”, participates in investigating and capturing child sex tourists. In 2003 ICE launched “Operation Predator”, leading to the arrest of over 11,000 child sexual abusers, including more than 1,100 outside the United States. While ICE agents refuse to comment on their means and methods of operation, media reports have suggested the use of undercover agents, internet sting operations, and sophisticated technologies. ICE agents in Bangkok did say however that they often receive information from local NGOs about foreigners in Thailand whom they suspect of engaging in child sexual abuse. Sometimes U.S. based law enforcement, such as local Sheriff Departments and Parole Officers, inform them of known sex offenders who are traveling to the region. In both cases, local ICE agents work with their Royal Thai Police counterparts to monitor the suspects’ movements while in Thailand.[30]
In recent years there has been an increase in the prosecution of child sex tourism offenses. At least 38 countries have WTO, ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) and Nordic tour operators created a global The Code of Conduct for the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism in Travel and Tourism in 1996. As of April 2013, over 1200 travel companies from 40 countries had signed the code.[29]
According to the Avaaz.org, Terre des Hommes Netherlands has created an online petition to pressure governments to adopt proactive investigation policies in order to protect children against webcam child sex tourism.
One of the factors pushing Brazil to the top of this list of destination countries is the extensive use of the Sport Fishing industry in the Brazilian Amazon as a front. The 2008 U.S. State Department Report [20] States "At midyear Federal Police in Manaus began investigating allegations that a foreign-owned travel company arranged fishing expeditions to the Amazon region that were in reality sex tours for U.S. and European pedophiles. At year's end the investigation was continuing in coordination with foreign law enforcement officials." Another US State Department report states (page 85) "In a newer trend, some arranged fishing expeditions to the Amazon were organized for the purpose of child sex tourism for European and American exploiters."[21] Recent Reports on Fox Atlanta and ABC World News Tonight have helped shine the light on this.[22][23][24][25][26] ECPAT-USA has recently posted a Brazilian National News story with English subtitles.[27]
[19]
Rape, Child pornography, Incest, South Africa, Sexual abuse
Justice, Canon law, Sociology, Common law, History
Ontario, Quebec City, Quebec, Ottawa, Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Pornography, Sexual harassment, Law, Rape, Child sexual abuse
Child pornography, Pedophilia, Child sexual abuse, Psychology, Brazil
Thailand, Colombia, Bali, Cambodia, Costa Rica
Child pornography, Prostitution, Sexual abuse, Child sexual abuse, Sexual harassment