SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN ATTRIBUTED TO TOURISM AND INTERNET

A report released by Uganda youth development link attributes the increase in underage sexual exploitation to the increasing number of tourists in the country coupled with increased internet access . Reading the findings of the report dubbed, The scale, scope and context of the sexual exploitation of children, the head of programs at UYDEL Rogers Mutawe and the executive director UYDEL Rogers Kasirye revealed that, the number of sexual exploitation of underage girl in the country grew to over 30,000 in the year 2015/16 as compared to 18000 in 2011. The report further revealed that through the growing number of tourists entering the country, some child sex offenders may be accessing the victims through orphanage volunteerism programs. The organisation is now recommending among other things that local bodies responsible for implementing legislation on protection of children are adequately funded, and that the act of obtaining a child for exploitation in prostitution is criminalized. Other recommendations include consolidating provisions on online child sexual exploitation, and criminalizing child sexual exploitation in the tourism and travel sector among others. The report follows a desk review exercise by UYDEL and ECPAT international carried out in April 2019 .

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