Playground

Story

The documentary Playground is about paedophilia and sexual exploitation of children in America. The filmmaker held interviews with pimps, victims and police officers and shows us how young children are pushed into prostitution.

Background

The U.S. Department of Justice claims that the commercial sexual exploitation of children is the worlds fastest growing form of organized crime. US citizens count for 25% of child sex tourists worldwide. And as much as 80% in Latin America. The number one destination for Americans seeking sex with a child is the USA. In the United States alone, child sex trafficking is a multi-million dollar industry with an estimated 300,000 children annually at risk. Wherever you can buy drugs in the USA, you can buy children, American children, for sex.

Scenes

Organization Action pour les enfants about US child abusers in Asia
Keane, director of organization Action Pour Les Enfants tells the story of sex offender Terry Smith being prosecuted in Oregon , US for sexual abuse before abusing children in Cambodja and the Fillippines. According to Keane, 99% of the US sex offenders in Asian countries have been molesting children in their own US environment before.
The view of sexual predators abusing children in developing countries
According to Gamble, working for Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in the UK, sexual predators don’t see themselves as somebody restricting the freedom of a child. They pretend that paying the children in developing countries for sex actually helps the economical position of the children.
President of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about US child sex abuse and trade.
Although a lot of people can’t imagine, most American sexual predators abuse children in their own country. Most victims are vulnerable children who are easily lured into the sex trade, according to Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Also, the police laws to track back disappeared children have not been satisfactory. Allen states the prostitution of children on the US streets is organized crime.
Child prostitution as a victimless crime in the US
Child prostitution is seen as a victimless crime according to the police. The child abuse and the the way the children are manipulated and used by pimps isn’t regarded as a crime. The director of the organization Children of the Street states asks herself when the society is able to step in to protect these children.
Policy on and registration of sex offenders in the US
Lawrence, an attorney, explains how the registration of sex offenders in the United States works. The information on sex offenders is often public. There are over 600.000 sex offenders in the US. Every form of sexual offence is treated in the same way. According to a clinical expert on sexual abuse, this one size fits all policy is contraproductive to fight sexual abuse of children.
Child pornography on the internet
The rise of the internet has made it much easier for pedophiles to get their hands on child pornography. Also, the anonimity on the internet is an important factor. The amount of people watching child pornography online is huge. Most visitors and most child victims are from the US.
Criminalization of children in US sex trade.
Criminalization of children who work in the sex trade is not the solution. The pimps and the costumers are the ones who should be punished. In the commercial sex industry, unlike children from foreign countries, the American children are not seen as a victim but instead as a criminal.
Sexual abuse, media and the distorted view on sexuality in US
A clinical expert on sexual abuse says that its important to know who the sex offenders are. She also states that it is very important to know what and how US adults teach children about sexuality. The media give children and young women a distorted view on sexuality.