The Fight's Not Over

On our last day in Svay Pak, I was walking over to the gym when I saw Justin standing in the middle of street with a strained look on his face. When I asked him what was going on, he pointed to a westerner who was standing next to a Tuk Tuk, just a few buildings down from AIM's Rahab's House, where we have Kid's Club. I had never seen him before, but that doesn't mean much. Maybe he was here to see someone on AIM's staff. I am a police officer and I watch people walking down the street all the time. I'm looking for behavior that is out of the ordinary, or for ordinary behaviour that is missing. Watching him for a moment I did notice that he looked unsure; a bit lost. He walked back to the Tuk Tuk, said something to the driver, then walked back in my direction. Justin wasn't sure if we should approach him. I am a cop. I talk to dirtbags all the time and if this guy was a dirtbag, I wanted to know right away.

I walked up to him and I could see that he was a white male, in his early 40s. "Hi," I said, "You look lost, are you looking for someone?"

"No..." he replied with a German accent.

"So, what brings you here today?", I ask with my friendliest smile.

"Oh, I'm looking to drink a beer or soda. This place his changed so much. I haven't been here for 12 years. The cafe I used to go to is gone." Twelve years ago, this place was a pedophile's dream. There were several brothels with no shortage of children.

Ironically, this conversation was going on in front of the Kids Club building. Kids are running in and out around us. I am talking to a tourist-seeking-pedophile in front of AIM's Svay Pak Head Quarters and Church.

I told him that there is a cafe just next door, and he walks away. Justin and I quickly found Chad, one of AIM's staff members and told him what had just happened. Just 20 feet from us, the pedophile was sitting in the cafe, directly next door to Rahab's House having a drink. This scenario was right out of AIM's documentary, The Pink Room. I encourage you to see it if you havent already.

NOBODY comes to Svay Pak for a soda, nobody! This is a poor, nondescript area, 20 minutes away from the city. On our first day, our driver couldn't even find the turn off from the highway to Svay Pak. The only foreigners that venture here are those who know children can be purchased for sex here.

AIM's staff took over from here. They sent a Cambodian staff member to the cafe to strike up a conversation with the bad guy. Typically, a foreginer would go into Svay Pak, or some other area known for trafficking children, and sit in a cafe until a pimp sees him and arranges a child for him to rape. So, probably when the undercover AIM staff member talked to him he was assuming he was a trafficker. The foreigner freely told him that he was in Svay Pak six years ago and bought two young girls, and he was looking for some girls today.

After a while he gave up and got back in his Tuk Tuk and traveled back to his hotel in Phom Pen. This gave AIM enough time to gear up their undercover team; their "SWAT" team. They have an agreement with the goverenment to conduct investigations on suspected pedophiles and under certain circumstances, take them into custody. The SWAT team followed the pedophile back to his hotel and set up surveillance on him. They will follow him from there, and if they can show that he is buying children for sex, they will arrest him. While Justin and I watched this horrible human being sitting in the cafe (see photo below), waiting to buy and rape a child, we prayed against him. We prayed that God would protect the children in Cambodia against him and all like him, and we prayed that he would be outed and arrested. This will be my ongoing prayer.

Child Sex Predator Waits for Pimp

I asked Pastor Chanta (the head pastor of the AIM church) if this happens often. "Sadly, yes." he said. I really feel like God put this situation in front of me to remind me that it's not all fun and games over here. Even as you could hear the children singing from the open windows of the Kid's Club, a child sex predator drank a soda in the cafe next door. The fight is far from over. AIM has done so much for this area, but so much more is needed to be done. The wolf is not at the door, he is INSIDE, running among the sweetest children you would ever meet.

Many of you that are reading this blog have given generously to AIM, me, and the other members of the Newsong team. I would encourage to "Like" AIM's Facebook page and stay up on what is going on over here in Cambodia. Include them in your daily prayers. If you heart leads you, go to their webpage and DONATE.