Lifting the Rock

[ticklebutton]

Paedophiles can no longer scurry under rocks by seeking out child victims in other countries, thus avoiding U.S. prosecution.

Michael Lewis Clark, 70, pleaded guilty in March to traveling to Cambodia last year and having sex with two boys, ages 10 and 13. Prosecutors said he may have had sex with as many as 50 children in Cambodia, paying them $2 each.

He is the first person convicted under the Protect Act of 2003 which was signed into law last spring, one provision of which allows prosecution of Americans who engage in sexual abuse of children in foreign places. Clark was sentenced to eight years in prison Friday.

"We hope that the result today really will send a message around the world that this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated. It must not be tolerated, and it will not be tolerated," federal prosecutor John J. Lulejian said.

Lulejian said a total of six cases have been charged under the Protect Act — two in Seattle, with others pending in Miami, Baltimore and San Francisco.

The Cambodian National Police arrested Clark in Phnom Penh, accusing him of "debauchery involving illicit sexual conduct with the young boys", U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. The Cambodian authorities later dropped the charge, which allowed Clark to be indicted in the United States.

The Protect Act is also known for encouraging states to set up Amber Alert systems, designed to help track down missing children here.

 

[BigJim]

Good, good, fucking good!

 

[Haltickling]

The German police has been closely cooperating with Thai, Cambodian, and Philippine (the 3 main sex-tourism countries for pedophiles) police for a long time, and they catch about 2 or 3 per year. The main problem is the corruption within those local police forces, and the fact that poor parents are willingly selling their children to pimps to prevent them (the kid AND the family) from starving. It's an ancient Asian tradition to sell one kid into prostitution, just as sending one kid into a monastery. Nobody can imagine the poverty of many people there, living on less than 2 $ per day for a whole family of 8 or more. An average cop in Thailand makes about 300 $ per month, and the pimps cash in the tenfold amount. That's even worse in drug business, where there are millions in cash about.

European pedophiles are already aware of the increasing risk for them in Asia; now they are flocking to Eastern Europe, mainly the Czech Republic. The sex market is thriving, but the authorities simple deny the mere existence of the problem. Now, that would be a good topic for the EU now that many Eastern European countries have become members...

 

[TicklishSinner]

thank goodness something is being done now...none of those kinda of people should get away with things like that!

 

[Roseblossom]

The main problem is the corruption within those local police forces, and the fact that poor parents are willingly selling their children...

So thank goodness the countries from which these paedophiles come are doing something to punish them.

In addition to jail time, perhaps a good way to make restitution would be a nice big chunk of money that would be given to the victimized child.

Yes, the poverty is a huge problem. The desperation of those families is exactly what drew the predators to their country in the first place, knowing there would be plenty of "willing" victims.

~Rose~