Human Trafficking, Pedophile, Child Sex Tourism
and Child Pornography Investigations

 Overview

Human trafficking has become a world-wide problem in its many forms. The most common of these are sex trafficking, labor trafficking and child selling. While this problem is endemic in developing nations, it is also a significant problem in first world countries. Poverty, a desire for betterment and monetary gain, coupled with deception and coercion, are often causative factors. 

Pedophiles, sex tourists and child pornographers are particularly common in developing countries where governmental corruption, indifference, cultural or sexual biases and weak or confusing laws and untrained law enforcement exist.

Taken collectively, these problems, if left unaddressed, can subtly unravel the social fabric of any nation. It is only with an objective understanding of the core nature of these issues that students or professionals of all types can begin to properly and effectively address these very complex social and criminal problems. Special emphasis will be placed on the nuances associated with these problems as they occur in Southeast Asia. Actual case studies and practical exercises are used to demonstrate many aspects of these problems. 

SEALETA has trained anti-trafficking specialists and volunteers from the Mekong River sub-region including China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, and serves as consultant to anti-trafficking programs throughout the region as well as to anti-child abuse projects.

Purpose

The purpose of this course is to provide comprehensive information that will enable the learner to identify and properly define the myriad of problems associated with human trafficking, pedophilia, child pornography and child selling. It will also define the wide spectrum of persons who engage in the aberrant behavior associated with these problems.  

Objectives

• Human traffickers are in it for the money

  Understand and define the differences between human trafficking and prostitution
• Recognize the various types of human trafficking: labor trafficking, sex trafficking, and child selling
• Understand the role of exploitation and victimization in human trafficking: identification of individuals and target groups
• Know the types and methods of operation of human trafficking organizations
• Understand the applicable criminal statutes and the wide variants that exist between countries of the world
• Victim identification and age determination factors associated with victims/survivors
• Implement appropriate and effective interviewing techniques for victims/survivors
• Understand the problems encountered during investigations, placement and aftercare/treatment
• Be familiar with forensic and documentary evidence gathering
• The impact of racism, minorities, cultural nuances and alien identification and how to address these issues in the course of investigations
• Be familiar with the profile of a pedophile
• Understand the differences between domestic and international pedophile cases
• Understand the U.S. Protect Act and similar laws in other western countries pertaining to child sex tourists
• Know the differences between individual pedophile sex tourists and group sex tours
• Understand what should be included in search and arrest warrants and why those items are critical to the case
• Understand child pornography and the relationship between pedophiles and child pornography
• Have a working knowledge of the computer programs used by child pornographers
• Understand how law enforcement and social services/non-governmental organizations can work together on common problems
• Understand how to set up an effective “sting operation” to target human traffickers, pedophiles, child sex tourists and child pornographers in print or on the web
• Understand the legal issue of entrapment and the need to coordinate efforts
• Upon completion of the course, the student will have the basic knowledge required to work on human trafficking, pedophile, child sex tourism and child selling cases.