[1] There are 2,650 sex workers registered with the government in 2008, but there was no accurate information regarding the total number of persons practising prostitution in the country.
)[8] The US government, concerned about the spread of STIs, tried to pressurise the Panamanian authorities into prohibiting prostitution and shutting down the red-light districts.
[8] During WWII, the Vincentian Fathers encouraged parishes to set up "Catholic recreational centers for servicemen" to try to get the serviceman away from the red-light districts.
Child victims of trafficking are typically Panamanian nationals subjected to commercial sex acts inside Panama.
Panamanian and European officials report some men and women from Central America who transit Panama en route to the Caribbean or Europe are subjected to sex trafficking in their destination countries.
[13] Panamanian officials continue to prosecute cases of sexual abuse of children in urban and rural areas, as well as within indigenous communities.
Officials believed that commercial sexual exploitation of children occurs, including in tourist areas in Panama City and in beach communities, although they do not keep separate statistics.
The same penalty applies to anyone who uses email, the Internet or any other regional or mass media to incite minors to engage in online sex, or to provide or stimulate sexual services, through any of the above means, by phone or in person.
[15] Article 190, Penal Code, imposes a penalty of imprisonment for eight to ten years for anyone who promotes, directs, organizes, advertises, invites, facilitates or arranges for any local or mass media, local or international sex tourism, the recruitment of a minor aged between fourteen and seventeen for sexual exploitation, whether this actually takes place or not.