Profiting from Abuse

Book excerpt: The sex trade is a multibillion dollar international industry, which in many countries fuels the expansion of tourism and is a significant source of foreign exchange earnings. The commercial sexual exploitation of children assumes many forms, and organised criminal networks can involve a long chain of people linking a child to an abuser sometimes thousands of miles away, through intermediaries all of whom profit in some way. This report, a tribute to the courage of the many children affected by this inhuman trade, presents the words and experiences of children who have suffered from this exploitation, as well as the views of individuals and organisations working to ending it.