Adult men in Helsinki caught paying for sex with teenagers with alcohol and gifts
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The buying of sexual favours from teenagers by adult men has become increasingly common in Helsinki. Police in Helsinki have learned of at least 178 cases in which an adult man has paid for sex with an under-age girl or boy.
The police and the Family Federation of Finland believe that the number of cases that have come to light are just the tip of the iceberg, because both parties in such transactions usually prefer to keep it hushed up.
"From what we have experienced, the phenomenon of young people selling sexual favours really has increased in this decade", says Family Federation sex therapist Kirsi Porras, who heads a project to help young people who have been coerced into having sex.
Jeans, other clothing, music recordings, alcohol or drugs are reportedly the most common way that adults "pay" a teenager for sex. When cash is involved, police say that the price is in the tens of euros.
The teenagers selling their services have been between the ages of 13 and 17.
In one third of the cases under investigation, the under-age seller of sex has been a boy. All of the customers have been men.
Boys who sell sex to older men are not necessarily homosexuals themselves. Many see the sex as an experiment, or possibly as just a business.
"For some, offering sex takes on quite a business-like character. They have a wide clientèle", says Marja Vuento of the violent crimes unit of the Helsinki police.
Sex therapist Kirsi Porras notes that the phenomenon is distinct from standard prostitution. Buying sex services from someone who is under the age of 18 is a crime, and the culpability of the adult is not mitigated even if it is the young person who makes the initiative. If an adult has sex with someone under 16, the age of consent, an additional crime of sexual abuse of a child applies.
Buying sex services from someone who is over 18 is not a crime, unless human trafficking or pimping are involved.
The first contact between a seller and a buyer often takes place on the Internet or in a place where teenagers are known to spend their free time.
The teenager often enters into the transaction with the intention of selling sex. The customers do do not always know the how old the sellers are, as they often lie about their age.
The backgrounds of the teens who offer sex services vary. Some come from ordinary families, while others have a background of living in foster care or institutions. "They lack respect for their own body, and an ability to evaluate cause-and-effect relations. Sometimes it is also a matter of testing their own abilities."
Police are often alerted to the crimes by parents who have seen suspicious text messages or e-mails, or who are worried that their children are keeping company with suspiciously old people.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 3.3.2008 - TODAY |
 Adult men in Helsinki caught paying for sex with teenagers with alcohol and gifts |
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