Child sex tourism, where adults travel to another country to have sex with children 10 to 17, is not new. For years, articles in the NAMBLA Bulletin, have rhapsodized about 12-year-old boys "who truly loved their work." Go to Asia, where "thousands of kids were there just for the picking." From Bangkok, the world's child-sex capital, to Thailand, Cambodia and almost all of South America, child sex tourism is a thriving industry.

Many poor fathers see their young daughters as a source of income and that is a cultural attitude that's hard to change. Likewise, many kids see prostitution as an escape from their poor neighborhood conditions. And the problem is growing. The U.S. State Department estimates that more than a million children enter 'the industry' every year, worldwide!

There are signs of progress, though. Through the Child Sex Tourism Initiative, the FBI is apprehending the abusers and helping the victims. Australia, Germany, Norway and Sweden have joined the U.S. in arresting and prosecuting citizens upon their return from a child sex escapade. The FBI is working hard, in conjunction with our international partners, to address this crime abroad.

[FBI]

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