The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction

D. Child Sex TourismChild sex tourists 69 prey on the most vulnerable children in the most impoverished areas of theworld. Many of these predators are Americans, but the identification and prosecution ofoffenders is very difficult. Despite the great challenges, U.S. law enforcement officials continueto pursue, often successfully, the growing number of American sex tourists, attempting to stemthe tremendous damage that these offenders are inflicting.1. U.S. citizens account for a large portion of international child sex touristsand their numbers are growing.American sex tourists commonly travel to Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Laos,Philippines, Thailand) and, increasingly, to Mexico, Central and South America (Brazil, CostaRica, and Honduras), and, to a lesser extent, Eastern European nations (Lithuania, and Russia.)Some reporting indicates that as many as 80 percent of the child sex tourists in Latin Americaand 25 percent of those in Southeast Asia are U.S. citizens. 70 Sex tourists travel to certaincountries primarily because gaining access to children frequently is aided by parents ororganized crime groups and because many predators believe their anonymity, transient status,and, oftentimes, the limited attention to such crimes by local law enforcement officials makestheir discovery unlikely. Within these countries, predators typically travel to very impoverishedareas where they are more likely to be able to pay for access to children. In fact, some child sextourists volunteer with foreign aid organizations or charities, particularly orphanages, to gainaccess to children in impoverished areas.Although there is noestimate for the number ofFinding Local Children in a Foreign CountryPredators often obtain information about brothels that offer childrenAmericans who travelfor sex or other available children from local taxi drivers, hoteloverseas for the purpose ofconcierges, restaurant wait staff, or newspaper advertisements. Sexsexually assaultingtourists also solicit children independently in foreign destinations atchildren, their ranks appear beaches or on the street, particularly if the sex tourist is seeking boys.to be increasing. Since Some predators also contact foreign children through the Internet and2004, the number of child arrange to meet them on the trip. Child sex tourists also gainsex tourism incidents information about local children through Internet chat rooms, messagereported to the NCMEC boards, and online forums. These Internet forums provide locations ofCyberTipline has increased child brothels, prices, accounts of child sexual abuse by other sextourists, and sites for trading child pornography.69 American child sex tourists typically are Caucasian males aged 40 or older. Such predators may be eithersituational or preferential child sex tourists. A situational child sex tourist abuses children by way ofexperimentation or through the anonymity and impunity afforded by being a tourist. He or she does not have anexclusive sexual inclination for children. Often, the situational offender is an indiscriminate sex tourist who ispresented with the opportunity to interact sexually with a person under 18 and takes it. A preferential child sextourist displays an active sexual preference for children. He or she may still have the capacity to experience sexualattraction for adults but will actively seek out minors for sexual contact. The preferential child sex tourist willgenerally search for pubescent or adolescent children.70 Some organizations estimate that U.S. citizens account for 25 percent of child sex tourists worldwide, and as highas 80 percent in Latin America. See www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/learn/globalissues-stp-faqs (last visited Apr.15, 2010).36