Apr 13 2008
Nipping it in the bud
Anti-sex tourism legislation can get a little tricky, as demonstrated by a recent case reported by the Associated Press.
A Florida man was arrested when he responded to a tourism ad advertising sex in Costa Rica. His intention for traveling? Sex with a 14 - 16-year-old girl.
But the travel agency was actually run by the FBI, and Jorge Muentes was arrested before boarding the plane.
His lawyers argue that he is being charged with a fantasy that he may or may not have acted on.
But prosecutors and the FBI say they were averting the damage before it happened.
As much as I deplore sex tourism it does seem like the FBI is supposing his guilt. It seems like in order to charge him he should actually have to solicit the sex in Costa Rica. I guess Ive just become wary of law enforcement assuming guilt based on the horrible nature of the crime (ie terrorism and the slippery slope of 1st amendment violations that have followed).