Child sex tourism

Child Sex Tourism [CST] entails tourists, mostly men, engaged in sex trafficking by purposely traveling to known sex destinations, seeking anonymity in pornography or prostitution, or engaging in pederasty with young children and homosexuality with young and older adults.

These sexual offenders come from all different cultures and socio-economic levels, many holding positions of government and religious leadership, faithfulness, and trust. The U.S. Department of State reported previous cases of CST involving U.S. citizens that included a pediatrician, a retired Army sergeant, a dentist, and a university professor. Many times, the sex tourists travel with illegal drugs purposely to control the minor's will or to bait and solicit sex with the minor.

The Vatican has recently warned in a new Document, 'Pastoral Care For The Liberation of Women of the Street' [street prostitutes], that men who are clients of prostitution have deep-seated problems as they, too, are enslaved in sex and domination. The document reveals that the largest numbers of men are over 40 years of age, but there are an increasing number of younger men, between 16-24, involved as well. The Vatican reported that 3,400,000 women from Asia are enslaved into prostitution on the streets of Asian countries.

Pope Benedict XVI warned the Bishops of Sri Lanka in May 2005: "No effort must be spared to encourage civil authorities and the international community to fight child abuse and assure young people the necessary legal protection."