The Criminal Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Jordanian Criminal Legislation: a Comparative Study

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to investigate the criminal protection of children from sexual exploitation. It examines the substantive provisions related to the crime of inducing prostitution as a form of sexual exploitation, as regulated by the Jordanian Penal Code for the year 2022. Furthermore, it explores the crime of trafficking in children for sexual exploitation under the Jordanian Trafficking in Persons Act for the year 2021.
 
 Method: To achieve the desired objectives of the study, a descriptive and analytical approach was followed in describing and analyzing the texts of the materials that addressed child sexual exploitation in Jordanian legislation and comparative laws. The comparative approach was also used by comparing the subject of the study, which is the criminal protection of children from sexual exploitation in Jordanian legislation, with some criminal laws and international conventions.
 
 Result: One of the study's most important findings is that the Jordanian legislator did not successfully use the term "prostitution" in Article 14 of the Electronic Crimes Law because the term "prostitution" includes females only.
 
 Conclusion: The legislative phrasing of criminal provisions related to child sexual exploitation, specifically the phrase "for the purpose of exploiting them" found in Article 3/b of Jordan's Anti-Human Trafficking Law, and similar provisions in the studied legislation, raises an issue concerning the necessity of proving specific intent in child sexual exploitation crimes, namely the intent to exploit.