Americans arrested for child sex offenses

Americans arrested for child sex offenses

The United States is investigating a suspected child sex ring on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, an official said on Thursday.

Theresa Nibblet, a senior official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said the department opened an investigation following a tip-off. She did not provide details and it was not immediately clear how -- or if -- Americans were involved.

The United States has cracked down on child exploitation since it passed a law in April last year to strengthen punishment against Americans who commit child sex offenses overseas, Nibblet said at a regional conference in Singapore.

Child sex tourism is a growing problem in Asia, in part because many poverty-stricken countries in the region do not have adequate laws protecting children from exploitation.

"Countries in Asia have generally been cooperative and active; many have acknowledged the problems and are working with the relevant authorities," Nibblet said at the Asia Regional Child Exploitation and Forced Child Labor Conference. --AP