Celebrities speak out against child sexual exploitation
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 | 10:25 AM CT
CBC News
Little Mosque on the Prairie actor Manoj Sood attended the launch of the Man to Man campaign in Winnipeg on Tuesday. (CBC)Beverly Hills 90210 Actor Jason Priestley and race-car driver Jacques Villeneuve are among several high-profile Canadians involved in a campaign to end the sexual exploitation of children.
Winnipeg-based Beyond Borders launched the web-based public awareness campaign, aimed at men, on Tuesday. Man to Man is the first campaign of its kind with respect to sexual exploitation, said Beyond Borders president Rosalind Prober.
"Most public awareness campaigns about child sexual abuse have focused on the victim," she said. "That's obviously important, but we've ignored trying to tackle the demand side of the issue. This campaign changes that."
The campaign notes that although women sometimes exploit children for sex, more than 90 per cent of those charged with the offence are men.
Actor Jason Priestley is among several high-profile Canadian men to support a campaign against sexual exploitation of children. (CBC)"I don't have all the answers of what needs to happen," Little Mosque on the Prairie actor Manoj Sood said at the launch in Winnipeg. "I'm not an expert, but I sense deep down these men know that they're doing something wrong.
"I would encourage these men, wherever you are, to seek help before you destroy your own life, destroy a child's life, destroy the life of your families around you."
Other Canadian celebrities lending their names to the campaign include Corner Gas actor Lorne Cardinal, NFL star Israel Idonije, and journalist and author Victor Malarek.
'It's important for boys and men to hear that using children for sex and profit is not OK.'— Rosalind Prober, president of Beyond Borders
"We want to encourage men to get involved with this issue and to take a stand. It's important for boys and men to hear that using children for sex and profit is not OK," said Prober.
"Hearing that message from men they admire or look up to is equally important because the message has more weight."
Sood first encountered child sex workers while in Calcutta many years ago. A hotel owner brought a 13-year-old-girl to his room, unsolicited, he said.
"The only reason [sexual exploitation of children] happens is because many men will be willing to pay the money to have sex with that young child, so that's a memory that's always carried with me," Sood said.
Beyond Borders is the Canadian affiliate of EPCAT International, a global network of more than 80 groups in 75 countries. ECPAT stands for End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes.
The campaign web page includes a series of myths that offenders tell themselves to justify the exploitation. For example, that viewing child sexual abuse images is a victimless act.
A corresponding fact is displayed along with each myth.
There is also a section about seeking help for those who have carried out sexual offences against children or have thoughts about it.
"I'm sure some may think this is an odd campaign for a victims' rights group to take on, but I think it's realistic," said Prober. "We need men to talk in order to change the offender mindset. This is a first, groundbreaking step."
