New Sex Tourism Bill will prevent paedophiles going abroad

New laws that will prevent convicted paedophiles from travelling to developing countries where child sex trafficking is rife are to be considered in the Dáil.

The Sex Tourism Bill from Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan has been backed by four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Fr Shay Cullen, whose organisation Preda have been campaigning for children’s rights for decades.

The proposals, which are supported by the Government, would extend powers to judges to mark the passports of convicted sex offenders and restrict their travel.

‘This is a massive, massive global problem. But this would be a signal that Ireland is being serious about it. We will be the first EU country to bring in this legislation,’ Ms O’Sullivan said yesterday.

Ireland will follow the lead of Australia if the legislation is introduced, and campaigners also plan to lobby our European neighbours to adopt similar laws.

Each year, in an illicit industry worth €26billion annually, 4.5million people are victims of trafficking — and 33pc of those are children. Fr Cullen said that in his base in the Philippines, just one of many countries where child sex trafficking is rife, the violent reign of president Rodrigo Duterte is exacerbating the problem.

He warned that ‘police and pimps’ are working together in a sickening practice that sees children sold to paedophiles or forced into performing sexual acts online over webcams. The children are sometimes advertised online as ‘virgins for sale’, and can be purchased from countries all over the world, including Ireland, Fr Cullen said.

Those trying to escape sex slavery are given little respite by the government, he said, explaining: ‘If kids are found on the streets being sold to paedophiles, they are put in jail.’

Preda believes that sex tourism to the Philippines from Ireland is growing, with more and more Irish bars opening their doors there. The organisation works in the slums, rescuing children from poverty and the sex trade.

The Bill, now at second stage in the Dáil, could prove problematic as the Constitution guarantees the right to travel for Irish citizens.

But Ms O’Sullivan said: ‘It’s very clear that it’s giving the judges extra powers to restrict the travel of somebody convicted in Ireland of child sexual abuse. That is taken into account by the parliamentary legal advisor who drafted the Bill.’

Junior justice minister David Stanton, and others, have indicated they will support the Bill.