Travel agents warned on child sex tours

29/4/02
Western Australian travel agents have been put on notice that if they knowingly participate in organising overseas paedophile sex tours, they could soon land in jail and be permanently disqualified from working in the travel industry.
Attorney General Jim McGinty today signalled plans to introduce tough new laws to crack down on the people who arranged or facilitated sex tours, complementing federal laws that targeted the paedophiles who participated in such tours.
"Paedophilia is one of the most chilling and repugnant crimes imaginable, and I have no hesitation targeting anyone who facilitates the travel arrangements of these people to enable them to exploit vulnerable children overseas," Mr McGinty said.
"Travel agents are in the front line in their capacity to aid these people and the new laws will provide a very strong deterrent to them providing that assistance.
"The legislation is as much about preventing the sexual abuse of children, as it is about penalising the people who profit from such abuse.

"I have no doubt the industry will fully support our actions in targeting any rotten apples who may choose to be involved in such practices."
Mr McGinty said federal laws made it an offence for any Australian citizen to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16 in another country, or to encourage or benefit from an activity that promoted sexual activity with a child under 16.
"The WA legislation will add further weight to those laws by targeting the people who make it possible for these offences to occur in the first place," he said.
Mr McGinty said new provisions would be added to the Criminal Code to specifically focus on the people who made travel arrangements for child sex tours.
The legislation would make it a criminal offence to do, or omit to do, any act that aided, facilitated or contributed to sexual offences against children under the relevant State or federal laws.
Offenders would face penalties of up to 20 years' jail.
In addition, Mr McGinty said he would be amending the Travel Agents Act to disqualify an individual or body corporate convicted of an offence under the new laws or under the relevant federal laws from gaining or holding a travel agent's licence.
Attorney General's office: 9220 5000