by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:05 PM ET, Tue May 30, 2017
Officials in Australia announced plans Tuesday that would ban convicted pedophiles from traveling overseas in an effort to protect children in Southeast Asia.
According to The Associated Press, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced a proposal to cancel an estimated 20,000 passports for pedophiles on the national child sex offender register.
The proposal would be put in front of the Australian Parliament during the coming months.
The legislation is being proposed to stop sex offenders from taking trips to Southeast Asia and Pacific island countries to abuse children, especially after it was revealed that an estimated 800 registered pedophiles traveled overseas last year, with around half heading to Southeast Asian destinations.
"There will be new legislation which will make Australia a world leader in protecting vulnerable children in our region from child sex tourism," Bishop told The AP.
Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan said that the proposed legislation would be the first travel ban of its kind in the world. The country's sex offender registry contains 3,200 serious offenders that would be banned for life, with less serious offenders being allowed to get their passports back after a certain amount of time complying with the laws.
[READMORE] READ MORE: Confronting Child Sex Tourism Around the World[/READMORE]
Independent Senator Derryn Hinch is getting a lot of credit for the new legislation. He was molested as a child and now works tirelessly to protect innocent victims; He had a heavy involvement in drafting the new legislation.
Bishop, Hinch and other lawmakers have been in contact with other governments in Southeast Asia who have voiced their concern regarding Australian sex offenders traveling to their nations as child sex tourists.
Australia has already stiffened its laws against child sex tourists by implementing a punishment of up to 25 years in prison for Australian citizens or residents who molest children overseas.
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