Update: Child victims of sex trade in Cambodia

Dateline: What's your name?

Loeum: Loeum.

Dateline: Loeum?

Loeum: Yes.

Dateline: How old are you.

Loeum: 10.

In March 2003, human rights activist Gary Haugen tells us the situation in Cambodia demands extreme action. And his group will do what it takes to rescue the children being sold for sex.

Chris Hansen: You know that by operating in this manner that you open yourself up to the charge that you guys are cowboys. You're going into another country, doing an investigation, kicking down doors.

Gary Haugen: Cambodia was a place where we got a case referral and where we had knowledge of scores of children who were being molested and raped for a few dollars. And somebody needs to then take responsibility for that and say, "Okay, what can we do for these children?"

What he can do, he hopes, is prompt the government here to join his cause.

To make his case he takes the evidence to a powerful advocate: the U.S. Ambassador, who agrees to press the Cambodians.

Gary Haugen: So, we're in this very tricky stage right now. The embassy is meeting with very high Cambodian authorities today, and we are just hoping and praying that that meeting goes well. 

It takes a week, but finally, the Cambodians sign on to Haugen's plan, which involves tricking the pimps into bringing the girls to a supposed sex party at a house outside the village. There it will be easier for the police to arrest the pimps and rescue the children.

To get the pimps on board, Robert, the investigator posing as a sex tour guide, has been telling them that his clients are reluctant to come into the village.

Robert: The village is kind of a little bit dirty and-- a little bit dangerous for them...

Robert has discovered it really is dangerous. When he tried to sell the sex party idea to this pimp, the man asked if Robert had a hidden camera.

Robert: Why do you think I have camera?

Robert: No. I have a cell phone.

Roman: No. [unintel]

Robert: I have a notebook-

Roman: [Unintel…] On top of camera, right?

Robert: I no have a camera.

Then he asked Robert to prove he was for real and have sex with a little girl.

Robert: How old is she?

Roman: Five.

Robert: Five.

And when Robert refused, the pimp got angry.

Roman: Why you ask for young girls and you don't do nothing?

Finally, the pimp threatened him.

Roman: I, I not help for you. But also, you come again, and, uh, also, even though you die.

Robert: He said, "You come back here, you die. You come back here I'll kill you." I said, "Fine, we're out of here."

Robert: Rich.

Dateline: Hi. Nice to meet you.

Robert kept searching until he found other pimps including this man, willing to let some of the girls leave the village for the supposed "sex party". The pimps are saying they want to come along to keep an eye on the children, which plays right into the plan, because remember: When they arrive at the house, they'll be arrested.

These wouldn't be the first arrests in Svay Pak. The Cambodian police have set up a unit to deal with sex trafficking, but they've never been involved in anything like this. This time, 60 officers are being assigned to the raid.

But the big question is: Can they all be trusted? 

Gary Haugen: Right now, there's no guarantees at all.

Robert: Hello. Chum Reap Sur.

No guarantees, because many of the cops here are in the pimp's pockets. Like this police officer caught on Robert’s hidden camera. He thought Robert was really a sex tour operator and for 150 U.S. Dollars promised he could make sure neither Robert nor his clients would be arrested.  

Robert: You will guarantee safety?

Interpreter: Yes.

Robert: Oh, ok. Aukun.

Robert: No problem.

For $150. That's the equivalent of several months pay for the average Cambodian cop. If a cop like this finds out about the raid, he could alert the pimps.

Gary Haugen: The operation could totally get blown. For us, this is an exercise in faith.

It begins with a ride on a bus which is also supposed to be used to rescue the girls from Svay Pak. The bus waits on the outskirts of the village. A half dozen motorbike drivers take the producers and investigators to get the girls.

The pimps are there.

But no sign of the children.

Robert: Visal, where's, is -- where's the girl?

Interpreter: She's coming.

Visal: But 10 minutes more.

Robert: Ten minute more?

Finally-- these two girls, sisters, are brought into the waiting area.

Dateline: Hi there.

Robert: Come on in. Come on in.

Others soon follow.

Robert: This is Loeum and Viet, and Tau?

Girl: Tau.

Robert: Tau.

Now, the hope is these girls will escape the horror of this village, if everything goes according to plan.

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