Extraterritorial jurisdiction

Extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is the legal ability of a government to exercise authority beyond its normal boundaries. Child sex tourism by U.S. nationals has been subject to extraterritorial jurisdiction since the PROTECT Act of 2003. One cited justification for this has been that destination countries have inadequate laws or resources to prosecute child sex tourists. Those who seek to stop child sex tourism would generally prefer that the destination countries prosecute the offenses, to eliminate the need for witnesses and forensic evidence to travel long distances and lessen the bureaucratic steps and communication complications involved.