U-S WARNS CITIZENS -- NO PLACE TO HIDE FOR SEX FIENDS

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) warned Americans overseas that they can be prosecuted for engaging in sexual acts with minors wherever they may be.

“Americans, with twisted overseas travel plans to engage in child sex tourism, may think they are beyond the reach of US law enforcement,” said Special Agent Eric McLoughlin, who led the ICE’s Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) participation in a raid on a Subic, Zambales bar that resulted in the arrest of Arthur Benjamin of Texas.

HSI is one of the lead federal law enforcement agencies that identifies, investigates and arrests child predators and sexual offenders worldwide – a priority investigative area. They have a presence in 48 countries around the world.

Benjamin’s case was highlighted in a special ABC News report broadcast earlier this week.

“Millions of American citizens travel abroad on a regular basis. While the vast majority of them are law abiding, some commit sexual crimes against minors in foreign countries.

Each year, over a million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade. Child sex tourism involves people who travel from their home country to another and engage in commercial sex acts with children.

Child sex tourism is a shameful assault on the dignity of children and a form of child abuse and violence. For the minors involved, these acts have devastating consequences, which may include long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease, drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism and possibly death,” the statement read.