A recent study has revealed that a significant percentage of Dutch men have engaged in sexual abuse of minors abroad, with estimates suggesting that approximately 20,000 Dutch men travel internationally each year for this purpose. The research, conducted by criminologists at the Vrije Universiteit and the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), provides the first comprehensive insight into the prevalence of this crime among Dutch men.

The study, based on a sample of nearly 10,000 men aged 18 to 80 residing in the Netherlands, found that 2.3 percent admitted to ‘transnational sexual child abuse’, defined as having paid sex abroad with someone under 18 or unpaid sex with someone under 16 while the perpetrator was over 21. This translates to an estimated 131,000 to 171,000 Dutch men across the entire population.

Two-thirds of the reported incidents occurred within the past five years, and three-quarters of the perpetrators stated that their trips were specifically motivated by the intention to engage in sexual abuse of minors. The remaining perpetrators claimed the abuse was spontaneous.

The research also explored the prevalence of Dutch men participating in livestreams depicting minors engaged in sexual acts, finding that 2.3 percent of the sample admitted to watching such content. Notably, a substantial 86 percent of these online offenders also confessed to committing physical forms of sexual child abuse.

The findings challenge the stereotypical image of child sex tourists as ‘old dirty men’ traveling to countries like Thailand in retirement. The study reveals that the average age of perpetrators is 35, with the majority living with a partner, nearly half being highly educated, and only a small fraction being unemployed. Only a third of the perpetrators reported having a sexual interest in children.

While self-reporting methods have limitations, researchers implemented control mechanisms to filter out deliberately incorrect answers. However, they acknowledge that a margin of error remains, and the figures should be considered estimates. The study’s findings underscore the importance of vigilance and awareness that the group of perpetrators is much broader than the stereotypical image often portrayed.