Webcam Child Sex Tourism, Becoming Sweetie: a novel approach to stopping the global rise of Webcam Child Sex Tourism

Terre des Hommes Netherlands embarks on an investigation of a relatively new form of online child sexual exploitation known as “webcam child sex tourism” (WCST). WCST takes place when adults pay or offer other rewards in order to direct and view live streaming video footage of children in another country performing sexual acts in front of a webcam. 

Their research shows that the rapid spread of WCST demands a proactive approach to this global phenomenon. Although the legal framework prohibiting WCST widely exists, governments are not adequately enforcing their own child protection laws when the victims are located outside their borders. Terre des Hommes Netherlands, after their discovery that law enforcement agencies currently have a reactive approach to WCST, uncovered the identity of 1,000 online predators by proactively searching public chat rooms. Terre des Hommes Netherlands calls on government agencies in charge of justice to immediately adopt proactive law enforcement policies.

This document provides extensive background information on the growth and types of WCST existing globally. It further outlines existing legislation against WCST and the national criminal penal codes of 21 countries. Field research was also concluded with the influential aid of a computer generated girl, called ‘Sweetie’. View the video on YouTube for more information on this entrapment technique.