Alongside comprehensive domestic legislation, extraterritorial legislation is one of the key tools in combating crimes of sexual exploitation and abuse against children (CSEA) on a worldwide scale. It allows legal authorities to hold citizens and residents accountable for crimes committed abroad and to undertake prosecution in their country of origin.
Where extraterritorial legislation against CSEA exists, it has led to multiple convictions of offenders who were travelling overseas and exploited vulnerable children. It decreases the likelihood of those who commit crimes against children escaping legal punishment, while sending a clear message to potential offenders.
Recent examples of how extraterritorial legislation has delivered justice to those who have been abused or exploited by travelling offenders, and prevented children around the world from becoming victims at the hands of these offenders:
Alongside comprehensive domestic legislation, extraterritorial legislation is one of the key tools in combating crimes of sexual exploitation and abuse against children (CSEA) on a worldwide scale. It allows legal authorities to hold citizens and residents accountable for crimes committed abroad and to undertake prosecution in their country of origin.
Where extraterritorial legislation against CSEA exists, it has led to multiple convictions of offenders who were travelling overseas and exploited vulnerable children. It decreases the likelihood of those who commit crimes against children escaping legal punishment, while sending a clear message to potential offenders.
Recent examples of how extraterritorial legislation has delivered justice to those who have been abused or exploited by travelling offenders, and prevented children around the world from becoming victims at the hands of these offenders:
Richard Huckle (UK) – Convicted of 71 counts of serious sexual assault against children committed whilst posing as an English teacher in Malaysia. Huckle abused children from the age of 6 months to 12-years-old over a nine-year-period. In 2016, under the UK’s extraterritorial legislation against CSEA (Section 72 of the 2003 Sexual Offences Act), Huckle was sentenced to 22 life sentences with a minimum term of 23 years.
To read the full story on BBC News, CLICK HERE.
Matthew Lane Durham (USA) – Convicted of the sexual abuse of four children committed whilst working as a missionary at a children’s home in Kenya. Whilst working at the home, Durham sexually assaulted three girls – ages 5, 9 and 15 – and a 12-year-old boy multiple times. In 2016, under the USA’s extraterritorial legislation against CSEA (The PROTECT Act), Durham was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
To read the full story on CNN, CLICK HERE.
Kenneth Klassen (Canada) – Convicted of 15 counts of sexual abuse and exploitation of children in Cambodia and Colombia. Klassen engaged in the abuse of girls ranging in age from 8 to 14-years-old between 1998 and 2002, and often recorded videos of the abuse. In 2016, under Canada’s extraterritorial legislation against CSEA (Section 7 (4.1) of the Criminal Code), Klassen was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his crimes.
To read the full story on The Globe and Mail, CLICK HERE.
David Paul Lynch (USA) – Convicted of multiple counts of travelling with the intent to sexually abuse a child, and producing and receiving child sexual abuse images. Lynch frequently travelled to the Philippines to abuse and exploit children, some of whom were as young as 11-years-old. In 2018, under the USA’s extraterritorial legislation against CSEA (The PROTECT Act), Lynch was sentenced to 330 years in prison.
To read the full story on News-Press, CLICK HERE.
Keith Morris (UK) – Convicted of the sexual abuse of two children committed after having befriended their parents over a period of 20 years in Kenya. Morris would take groups of children out of their village for day trips and buy them sweets, make-up, take them for meals and invite them to stay in his hotel rooms, where he sexually assaulted two girls. For his crimes, in 2018, Morris was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison under the UK’s extraterritorial legislation against CSEA (Section 72 of the 2003 Sexual Offences Act).
To read the full story on BBC News, CLICK HERE.