Sexual Tourism Charges Laid Against Burnaby Man

35 sexual tourism charges were laid against a Burnaby, BC, man today. It is alleged that the offenses took place outside of Canada in locations like South East Asia, the Philippines and South America. It is illegal for Canadians to travel to other countries and engage in sexual activities that are illegal in Canada.

"The charges against Kenneth Robert Klassen include sexual interference, sexual touching, procuring and making child pornography. It's alleged the 35 offences were committed in Cambodia, Colombia and the Philippines between 1998 and 2002.CBC"CBC

The Canadian authorities were alerted to this case by the arrival of a suspicious package containing DVDs and a camera. Subsequent investigations showed that children as young as nine years old were involved.

The child sex tourism law enacted in 2002 has been effective in charging overseas offenders, but much still needs to be done to bring justice to the victims.