PROTECTING
CHILDREN FROM A WORLD OF HARM
The Case of the Not So Accidental Tourists
04/29/05
These particular
tourists were planning to visit Costa Rica, but not for its beautiful
beaches, lush rain forests, dazzling waterfalls, or rich culture. They
had crime on their minds.
Specifically, they
were going to prey on young children. Costa Rica had fallen victim
to the “sex tourist” trade—particularly by Americans
taking advantage of nonstop air service from Miami to the capital of
San Jose.
Costa Rican officials
contacted us in 2002. We immediately offered to help train Costa Rican
law enforcement to deal with the problem, but we also wanted to stop
the crimes from our end.
So we launched Operation
Turnaround, run by our Miami office with help from the Fort
Lauderdale Police Department and the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica.
It was the first undercover operation of its kind, designed to stop
sex tourists before they could leave the U.S.
To identify these
criminals, we created a bogus travel agency—Costa Rica Taboo
Vacations—that offered to arrange trips complete with local “tourist
companions” aged 14 to 27. We advertised our services in magazines
and on the Internet and were swamped with requests for information.
From December 2003
to August 2004, we arrested 11 individuals as part of the sting. All
11 have since either pled guilty or were convicted at trial. They included
a Florida cop, a New Jersey middle school teacher, and a South Carolina
real estate agent and his wife.
All were
ready to prey on Costa Rican children. They’d paid us to set
it up; they’d packed their bags; some even packed little gifts
for the children they were planning to abuse. Fortunately, it’s
illegal for U.S. citizens to travel internationally with the intent
to have sex with minors. Our agents arrested them before they left
the country.
“The idea
behind Operation Turnaround was to literally turn these individuals
around—so they couldn’t reach Costa Rica to carry out their
crimes,” said Special Agent Terri Patterson, who ran the operation.
Patterson hopes
other Americans who think they can get away with abusing children around
the world will take notice. “In a case like this involving kids,
getting the word out there to deter others is important,” she
said. “It sends a message that these crimes simply won’t
be tolerated.”
Links: U.S.
Attorney Press Release | FBI
Crimes Against Children website
