Introduction

International awareness of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) has increased in recent years. In particular, the Philippines is documented as a principal source for the production of online child sexual abuse materials (Hernandez et al, 2018: 306). Environmental and structural factors such as ‘poverty, family breakdown and dysfunction, poor parenting and supervision of children’ (Gill, 2021: np), are identified as circumstances that have been linked to the prevalence of child sexual exploitation (CSE). Another important way to understand this issue is via the dynamics of international demand for child sexual exploitation materials (CSEM) external to the Philippines and the domestic and international practice and policy efforts to disrupt supply and demand. Based on a dearth of academic literature on demand, the focus of this chapter is to explore how international attention on CSE and OSEC in particular has supported a range of interventions tackling exploitation in the country, in this case the Philippines, but neglects to engage with the location of the perpetrator, a challenge unique to OSEC. The chapter also critiques the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, published annually by the US State Department, arguing that instead of focusing solely on the response of each country where exploitation occurs, it also needs to engage with international demand. Throughout this chapter, the term local is used to distinguish responses in the Philippines from those directly implemented by international donors. It refers to being Philippine based. While OSEC is understood as one aspect of CSE, the TIP report takes a more expansive view. The report focuses on ‘trafficking in persons’, which is defined as ‘sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age’ (US Department of State, 2021). Thus, OSEC is included as a component part of the phenomena and response reviewed annually by the TIP report. Lastly, the chapter considers the implications on policy in the UK, specifically the Online Safety Bill, where OSEC has been prioritised, but questions remain whether such actions will deter demand and impact CSEM sourced from the Philippines.