Kenneth Klassen tries to hide his face as he arrives at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

The lawyers for a Burnaby, B.C., man who admitted to having sex with young girls while travelling overseas say their client was just a customer of willing participants.

Speaking at the sentencing of Kenneth Klassen, 59, in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver on Friday, his lawyers — Ian Donaldson and Len Doust — argued Klassen's punishment shouldn't exceed his crime.

Klassen pleaded guilty in May to having sex with 14 girls as young as nine years old in Cambodia and Colombia between 1998 and 2002.

The father of three also pleaded guilty to importing child pornography after he tried to mail himself DVDs bought overseas, some containing bestiality, others showing sex with six-year-olds.

On Thursday, Crown prosecutors asked for a 12-year sentence for Klassen.

Klassen just a customer, lawyers argue

Klassen's lawyers argued he should only serve five to six years.

They said Klassen engaged in a commercial transaction when he had sex with girls the Crown says were as young as eight years old.

The girls were delivered to Klassen for money, they said, and were willing participants.

The lawyers argued Klassen was just a customer, buying sex from a well-established trade, and not the predator Crown prosecutors made him out to be.

They argued Klassen was simply availing himself of an existing situation, and the fact that countries like Cambodia and Colombia don't protect against sex tourism is not his fault — in fact, the lax enforcement is equal to a quasi-acceptance of the child sex trade.

The lawyers also outlined the factors they feel should work in Klassen's favour when it comes to sentencing — that he was not violent with the girls and he pleaded guilty.

They also reject the Crown's contention the girls were as young as eight, saying Klassen always believed they were older.

Klassen spent much of the day in court trying to hide his face with his hands or hat as Donaldson and Doust wrapped up their sentencing arguments.

It is expected a sentence will be handed down on July 28.