- PANDEMIC - Pedos & Child Porn in the News - Equal Parenting-BC

133) Child exploitation growing
Philippine - Malaya News - April 6, 2005
http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr06/news4.htm
AN estimated 60,000 to 100,000 Filipino children are exploited in the sex trade, forced to work in unsanitary
conditions or are directly involved in the armed conflict between government and various rebel groups in Mindanao,
a study commissioned by the United Nations Children's Fund said.The study, conducted by professors at the
University of the Philippines Center for Integrative Development Studies (UP-CIDS), said an undetermined number
of poor children are being exploited through child pornography perpetrated by foreigners and locals.The Unicef said
heightened armed conflict in Mindanao has made the region one of the hotspots in human trafficking, with children
being smuggled out to Malaysia, among other neighbors.The report, "Combating Child Trafficking," the first to be
conducted in Asia, said children who want to help their families, gain material wealth and improve their physical
appearance are lured to big cities or to Japan as entertainers."Among the main causes of child trafficking in the
Philippines are poverty, low economic development in communities of origin, gender inequalities, limited
employment opportunities, existence of and access to public infrastructure, large family sizes, inadequate awareness
among families, and sex tourism," the report said.Dr. Nicholas Alipui, country representative of Unicef
Philippines, said the agency commissioned the study because of persistent reports of widespread child exploitation
in the country.The Philippines, he said, is also advertised in the Internet as a sex haven where young girls and boys
can be had cheaply.Unicef executive director Carol Bellamy, who is in town for the 112th Inter-Parliamentary
Union meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center, told the IPU general assembly that child
trafficking worldwide has become a $10 billion a year industry.She said the UN study found extensive evidence of
child pornography in the Philippines, particularly in tourist destinations like Pagsanjan in Laguna, Angeles City,
Baguio City and Puerto Galera in Mindoro.Bellamy said the Philippines is among the few countries that are making
a dent in the fight against the trafficking of women and children.But she challenged lawmakers to enact stricter and
more comprehensive laws against child exploitation and to strengthen law enforcement capability.The Philippines
passed the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act in 2003 which provides for the establishment of the National Inter-
Agency Council Against Trafficking in Persons, the lead agency that coordinates the work of similar councils now
being established at the provincial and city levels."This is not going to be easy," Bellamy said. The first choice
virtually guarantees strong national development; the second choice virtually guarantees the continuation of
poverty," Bellamy said."Parliamentarians are very powerful.
adult predators because aside from Central Luzon, the national capital region and Calabarzon, most of the reported
cases took place in the poorest areas of the county like Eastern Samar, Mindanao and the Bicol region. -
134) Prostitute at only 11
United Kingdom - The Evening Chronicle - April 5, 2005
http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/eveningchronicle/eveningchronicle/tm_objectid=15368726%26method=full%26s
iteid=50081%26headline=prostitute%2dat%2donly%2d11-name_page.html
The information we get from services in Newcastle who work with these young people tell us that."Barnardo's
commissioned research from 120 services working with children in Newcastle, asking about any young people they
knew of who were involved in prostitution.About half of these agencies have now responded, identifying 147 young
people in the city.Eleven of the organisations say they are working with children who are definitely being exploited,
with one service having a client involved since the age of 11.Detective Superintendent Mike Jones from
Northumbria Police said: "This is child abuse, pure and simple, and should not be viewed as anything else."It is too
early to say how much of a problem we have in Newcastle but the continued efforts to identify those at risk of
exploitation are to be welcomed."We must remember that paying for the sexual services of someone under the age
of 18 is a serious criminal offence, with the punishment liable to be a lengthy prison sentence."Workers say much of
the abuse remains hidden and many victims are reluctant to come forward, perhaps not even realising they are being
victimised.Mr Davies added: "There could be a variety of reasons for this - shame, fear and guilt among them.
135) Time for us to act
United Kingdom - The Evening Chronicle - April 5, 2005
http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/eveningchronicle/eveningchronicle/tm_objectid=15368799&method=full&siteid
=50081&headline=time-for-us-to-act-name_page.html
Shock and revulsion are the reactions to two reports on child abuse out today.In one we are told children as young as
11 are being exploited through prostitution in the city.In the other, the number of children in Newcastle at risk of
abuse and neglect is revealed to be double the national average.The problems are there for all to see; the solutions
are not so clear.In the case of child prostitution in the city, agencies have identified 121 children as being at
significant risk of being dragged into this seedy underworld.As a priority these vulnerable youngsters need to be
protected.The police have vowed to come down hard on anyone using child prostitutes but they should come down
CONFIDENTIAL ---- Pandemic - Pedo & CP Report – April 17, 2005 - page 29 of 216