Travel sector child sex abuse rising globally

MONTREAL— More children than ever are being exploited in the travel and tourism sector in Canada and around the world, according to a new report released Thursday.

The two-year study, produced by the non-governmental organization ECPAT International, found that child-sex tourism has increased drastically and changed in nature in the past 20 years, despite strong global efforts to combat the problem.

The main reason is the “phenomenal” increase in global travel, which has created more opportunities for abuse, says a member of the task force.

“These are opportunities that are being created for travellers to engage in these kinds of activities, and an alarming number of people are making the decision to opt to engage in them,” Ernie Allen said. The acronym ECPAT stands for End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purpose.

The study found that Canada and the U.S., which have traditionally been considered “source countries” for abusers, are increasingly also becoming destinations. The study suggests that children are becoming involved at a younger age, and more kids in both countries are engaging in sex for survival.

Over the past 20 years, the profile of an offender has changed from the stereotype of a white, western, middle-aged male who travels to a lessdeveloped country to exploit children.

Now, the majority are “situational” offenders — people who may have never dreamed of sexually exploiting a child until given the opportunity, and are mostly domestic travellers.

In Canada, indigenous women and children are especially vulnerable and are often moved around to be exploited near oil rigs or mining sites, the report says.