Another example of how we are going beyond our borders to protect children involves the investigation ICE has launched against sex tourism from the U.S. Last year, Congress gave law enforcement a powerful new tool by passing the "Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003", or the "PROTECT Act". Under the PROTECT Act, it is a crime for any person to enter the United States, or for a U.S. citizen of lawful permanent resident to travel abroad, for the purpose of sex tourism involving children. Within a few months of President Bush signing the bill into law, ICE had arrested the very first offender under the new Act. On September 10, 2003, ICE agents in Seattle arrested Michael Clark, a U.S. citizen, on charges of traveling to Cambodia to engage in sex with minors. Clark was extradited from Cambodia, upon the request of the U.S., after he was arrested and charged by Cambodian police in June with "debauchery involving illicit sexual conduct" with boys approximately 10 and 13 years old. According to the criminal complaint filed with the court, Clark subsequently admitted to molesting 40 to 50 children.
ICE is proud to have not only made the first arrest, but also the second, the third and now the fourth Protect Act child sex tourism arrest. We have a number of additional ongoing investigations that are being worked by our foreign attachés in coordination with local police in places such as Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Based on these investigations, more arrests are expected. We want to send a message loud and clear that international borders no longer shield child sex predators from the law.
http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2004/Mar/08-963980.html