The news brings some relief, especially as the results indicate improving cooperation within Interpol, which include our National Police and the Australian Federal Police. They keep a close watch on suspected and known child sex offenders through, among other things, exchanges on their social media accounts, which divulge travel plans, as well as international contacts.

Australian media reported in May that almost 800 registered child sex offenders traveled overseas from Down Under in the previous 12 months alone. The popular tourist destinations of Bali and Lombok in eastern Indonesia are frequent entry points, but offenders often explore other places given their wide network, the police say.

In May, the Jakarta Police uncovered a syndicate of child abusers running a Facebook account involving more than 7,000 members who shared child porn videos and tips on how to lure young girls and boys. The account has been shut down.

Progress has been painfully slow in the fight against child sex offenders, who include pedophiles and others that profit from the reportedly lucrative business, such as the arrested administrators of the above . “Official Candy’s Group.” Apparently child sex offenders continue to try their luck despite Indonesia’s harsh penalties of life imprisonment, chemical castration and even death in the case of child rapists whose victims die. The latter two penalties were introduced last year following the horrific rape and murder of a number of girls.

However, despite the improved cooperation among the police forces of various countries, our children are still highly vulnerable to such criminals, as reflected, for instance, in the high number of child sex offenders trying to enter the country and the staggering number of those involved in a single social media platform.

Persistent cross-border cooperation among law enforcers should amplify the message that Indonesia is no longer a safe haven for child sex offenders and child prostitution. Last year, 70-year-old Robert AF Ellis of Australia was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for sexually abusing 11 girls.

With the police and international organizations like Unicef, Southeast Asian neighbors such as the Philippines and Cambodia have also increased monitoring and cooperation to curb criminal syndicates and individual predators of young prey.

Yet much of the work to protect children lies beyond law enforcers. Child sex offenders easily lure children of poor families, sending money for years to maintain relationships while abusing the children during their visits. The Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry has also urged for increased awareness among children to reject inappropriate advances by strangers, even teachers and older family members.

Furthermore, pedophiles have said in their testimonies that besides money and chocolates, they offer children what so many are lacking: abundant affection.