An Australian man has been arrested in the Philippines after he allegedly travelled there with plans to meet a 13-year-old girl, highlighting the increasing and "alarming" threat "sex tourism" can pose.
Facebook alerted American authorities to Farhanipour Gholamreza after he allegedly posed as a "Nick Mrison" and contacted a 13-year-old girl in the Philippines, promising money in exchange for nude photographs.
Police allege he then arrived in the Philippines on August 19 with the plan to meet the girl a few days later.
But unbeknown to Gholamreza, within days the Philippine National Police (PNP), with the support of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), were organising a sting operation.
Taking over "Nick Mrison's" account, the PNP made contact with the victim and her family, tracking them to a Western Union branch where the mother went to collect money.
The 13-year-old girl was taken into the care of social services.
Meanwhile, Gholamreza was arrested on August 29 at Manila airport on his way back to Australia.
A police source told AAP that the 50-year-old allegedly promised 20,000 Philippine Peso (approximately A$560) and an iPhone in exchange for the meeting.
It is understood he was allegedly set to meet her in Angeles City - a known "sex tourism" area north of Manila.
It is expected he will be charged with violations of the Anti-Child Pornography Act and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
The Australian is currently detained PNP national headquarters.
It's not an isolated case.
"One of the most serious emerging transnational crime threats in the Asia-Pacific region is sexual exploitation of children, both via online environment and through child sex tourism," an AFP spokesperson told AAP in a statement this week.
"The connectivity of the internet has increased and is now accessible in more remote regions across South East Asia which not only increases the risk of online child exploitation but also the ability for offenders to operate in more obscure parts of the internet.
"Both the volume and velocity of reports received concerning the sexual exploitation of children is increasing, and the level of societal appetite for such materials is alarming."
