PETALING JAYA, May 21 — There has been an increase in the number of paedophiles visiting South-east Asia as child sex tourism continues to boom in the region.

Federal police revealed 168 registered paedophiles had entered the country since 2009. Most of them were from Australia, the UK and US. Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines are among the other countries they often frequented.

A UN-backed report and research conducted earlier this year revealed child sex tourism is rampant due to the advancement of communication technology, including smart phones and social media platforms.

“It helps offenders groom and procure children on the Internet before they arrive, network among themselves and even live-stream images of abuse,” the report published in various news portals stated. 

More than 95 per cent of sexual exploitation of children occurs on the Internet in South Korea and Thailand as their communication technology is advanced, researchers said. 

Darknet, a computer network with restricted access used primarily for illegal peer-to-peer sharing, makes it easier for offenders to securely post, view and exchange child abuse material. It also makes it difficult for the authorities to detect their activities.

Tens of thousands of children in the Philippines, known as a key hub in the region for organised cybersex, are believed to have been exploited by “webcam child sex tourism”, where minors perform sexual acts on camera, as directed by the abuser.

The biggest problem authorities face in crippling this menace is the dark digital spaces that offers thick layers of anonymity through computing tools such as encryption.

ABC News had in a recent report said syndicates in Thailand run one of the largest child sex trade operations in South-east Asia.

Unicef estimated between 60,000 and 200,000 Thai children were involved in sex acts. They, however, revealed it was difficult to obtain the exact figure.

In their report quoting the US Department of Justice, it was stated that the growing popularity of the “profitable child sex tourism trade” contributed to the menace.

A Thai organisation, Fight Against Child Exploitation, said 5,000 foreigners enter Thailand annually to have sex with children.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child had in a shocking report in February last year, uncovered sexual abuses of children in Cambodian orphanages, where  male perpetrators in the guise of tourists or volunteers get easy access to the victims.