Latin American children have become targeted more frequently by pedophiles because child pornography websites are not monitored as thoroughly by law enforcement agents in Latin America as they are in the United States and Europe, according to the United Nation’s Internet Governance Forum (IGF) (Eric Thayer/Reuters)

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – “Latin America runs the risk of turning into an Internet paradise for the world’s pedophiles.”

That’s how Thiago Tavares, president of NGO SaferNet Brasil and law professor at the Catholic University of Salvador, described the threat posed by on-line sexual predators throughout Latin America.

The region’s children have become targeted more frequently by pedophiles because child pornography websites are not monitored as thoroughly by law enforcement agents in Latin America as they are in the United States and Europe, according to the United Nation’s Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this past August.

Child pornography websites are sprouting up more frequently in Latin America, Tavares said.

“Many of these sites were hosted in the Czech Republic, but with [pressure from authorities], they started becoming available in countries like Panama, where 100 new [child] pornography domains have already been registered,” he said. “This requires immediate action given the legislative gaps [in this regard] in many of our region’s countries.”

As governments throughout Latin America created protocols to deal with child pornography websites, they are relying on other countries’ strategies to shut them down. Spain has created an undercover police force specializing in fighting child pornography and sexual abusers.

The force, which was created in March, mirrors units established in France, the United States, Poland and Germany.

But for law enforcement agents to have similar success in Latin America, tougher laws must be established, said Humberto de la Calle, a former vice president of Colombia.

“Colombia is distant from the European model [of how to fight child pornography and pedophilia], because the problem with regard to criminals and their punishment lies in [the fact] that the laws are not strict enough,” he said. “Under Colombian law, for example, the act and its execution are punished, but the intention [to commit the act] is not, and that holds for many other laws on our continent, which makes bringing potential sexual predators to court very difficult.”

Gilma Jiménez, a Bogotá councilwoman, agrees with de la Calle.

“Any type of abuse that compromises a child’s safety should be punished to the greatest extent possible,” said Jiménez on Sept. 23. “Laws in our countries are lax on this subject, and I have yet to see someone guilty of this crime receive an exemplary sentence.”

Lucrecia Caro, a psychologist living in Mexico who specializes in sexual violence, said “we need laws that punish the intention to violate and the Internet stalking of boys and girls.”

Costa Rica is taking steps to strengthen its child pornography laws. On June 6, President Laura Chinchilla introduced a bill to the legislature that makes child pornography illegal and punishes those found guilty of the crime for the first time.

Chinchilla’s proposal comes on the heels of an Interpol report stating the punishments given to those convicted of committing a crime using the Internet are the least severe in the world.

“[In Latin America] there are no cooperative networks, no integration of policies among countries and not much social mobilization regarding the issue,” Tavares said. “There are very few NGOs that fight Internet pedophilia, and no Latin American country has set up an action plan specifically drawn to fight crimes of pedophilia and racism committed by using the Internet.”

Neil Gaughan, president of the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT), which creates alliances between the public and private sectors to protect children against pedophiles, said cooperation is key in keeping youngsters safe.

“Part of the answer to fighting the exploitation of children on the Internet is directly related to forging international cooperation, particularly between the private sector and non-governmental organizations,” he said.

Caro adds parents must be mindful of their children entering Internet chat rooms or the persons with whom they are communicating on Facebook.

“Social networks are a double-edged sword for parents,” she said. “Boys and girls lack a sense of logic to understand that many times behind the screen there could be a sexual predator and not another child chatting innocently.”

Teachers at the Colegio Público in Bogotá recently took part in a survey by Infosurhoy.com to confirm the threats facing children between the ages of 12 and 17 on the Internet. Twelve classes consisting of seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh graders – a total of about 200 students – were asked this question: Have you ever been sexually propositioned by a stranger over the Internet?

At least eight students raised their hands in each class.

“Many students take advantage of social networks and the Internet in a positive way,” said María Teresa Urrea, the teacher who conducted the survey. “Nevertheless, others fall victim to curiosity, which is natural. But the key lies in having the students themselves understand what is good and bad, and when they are exposing themselves to be potential victims of sexual abuse. The family and our influence as teachers form part of the solution, but government needs to start enforcing laws in this regard.”