International Crime: Indonesia prostitution/pimping

Summary:
     In Indonesia, pimping and prostitution is a strong force that shows no signs of slowing down. Boys and girls as young as 12 are selling themselves, as well as their peers out for money and drugs. This particular article follows the story of a young Indonesian girl by the name of Chimoy. Chimoy is 17 years old and is a pimp. She established her empire of prostitution through social media sites and text messaging. She began pimping when she was only 14 years old, when she was asked to perform sexual acts for money and then recruited another girl to do it for her instead. Children of Indonesia's more tourism friendly area's seem to flock to prostitution due to its decent pay and security. These children can earn anywhere from $500 to $3,000 a month from providing sexual acts. Other ways of payment include car rides, drugs, and mobile devices. Social media provides security because the girls don't have to meet a client in a dark alley or in a shady hotel room, but rather can process the transaction before even meeting. The UN International Labor Organization estimates 40,000 to 70,000 children are sexually exploited by prostitution each year in Indonesia alone.

Analysis:
     These children are being placed into prostitution at such an early age simply because they live in an area that is ridden with poverty. These children seem to be almost addicted to their Blackberry's, simply because anybody who is anybody has a blackberry and uses social media. The article speaks of a 14 year old boy who sold himself to women in their 30's and 40's in exchange for money to keep his blackberry, simply because he feels like an outcast without it. The country has one of the highest concentration of facebook users in the world, and seems to be essential to their way of living. The pimps, who are also children, use social media sites such as facebook to sell out their clients, making the transactions one step easier. The pimps also provide protection and shelter for their prostitutes, which is the main reason for the prostitutes selling their bodies for money. The girl featured in the article claims she wants to get out of the prostitution world, yet her empire is so large that she can't seem to escape the appeal of good money, and drugs.

Posted on 11-1-13 at 10:45 AM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/kids-as-young-as-14-pimp-out-other-kids-for-sex-in-indonesia-internet-helping-operations-grow/2013/10/30/8ffe6234-41c3-11e3-b028-de922d7a3f47_story_1.html