History

Child Prostitution has been occurring for thousands of years in many different countries on continents including South America and Africa, but has been most prevalent in recent times in Southeast Asia.


There was a rapid expansion of child prostitution in early 1990s in Cambodia when United Nations troops entered the territory to oversee the transistion to a democratic government.


Between 1991 and 1993 the number of women and children prostitutes in the capital city of Phnom Penh rose from 6,000 to 20,000.  As a result of this, more than 3,000 U.N. soldiers caught sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.  HIV/AIDS rose dramatically throughout the brothels.


The actual trafficking aspect of child prostitution began when U.N. troops left Cambodia and brothel owners realized that they could make more money soliciting these services to tourists and local pedophiles.