Prostitution in Guam is illegal but is practised covertly, especially in massage parlours. Although massage parlours are sometimes raided, generally the authorities turn a blind eye.

Legislation

Chapter 28 (Public Indecency) of the Guam Crimes and Correctional Code outlaws prostitution as well as

soliciting Solicitation is the act of offering, or attempting to purchase, goods and/or services. Legal status may be specific to the time or place where it occurs. The crime of "solicitation to commit a crime" occurs when a person encourages, "solicits, r ...

, compelling, promoting or abetting

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

. The latter includes using the services of a

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

. The relevant articles are: * § 28.10. Prostitution Defined: Defines terms used in the legislation * § 28.15. Loitering for the Purpose of Soliciting to Engage in Prostitution: Criminalises solicitation * § 28.20. Promoting Prostitution: Criminalises owning, controlling, managing or supervising a place of prostitution, inciting somebody to enter prostitution * § 28.25. Abetting Prostitution: Criminalises soliciting a person to patronise a prostitute, procures a prostitute for himself, transports a person in or out of Guam for the purposes of prostitution * § 28.30. Compelling Prostitution: Criminalises

forced prostitution Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution or compulsory prostitution, is prostitution or sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion by a third party. The terms "forced prostitution" or "enforced prostitution" ap ...

and

child prostitution Child prostitution is prostitution involving a child, and it is a form of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The term normally refers to prostitution of a minor, or person under the legal age of consent. In most jurisdictions, child ...

The Department of Public Health and Social Services mandates STI testing massage parlour workers.

History

When the island was discovered by

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

explorer

Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the East ...

, the indigenous

Chamorros The Chamorro people (; also CHamoru) are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, politically divided between the United States territory of Guam and the encompassing Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, signifi ...

already practised prostitution and regarded it as a prestigious occupation. During the Japanese occupation of Guam in

WW2 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, some local

Chamorro Chamorro may refer to: * Chamorro people, the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific * Chamorro language, an Austronesian language indigenous to The Marianas * Chamorro Time Zone, the time zone of Guam and the Northern Mari ...

women were forced to work in the Japanese military

brothels A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub pa ...

set up on the island ( I Tiempon Chapones) along with the Japanese and Korean woman the Japanese had brought there. After the American liberation of Guam, a number of brothels were set up to serve the American servicemen. The establishment of US bases on the island after the islands were liberated in WW2, increased the demand for prostitution.

Red-light district

The tourist area of the

Tumon Tumon ( ch, Tomhom) is a district located on Tumon Bay along the northwest coast of the United States unincorporated territory of Guam. Located in the municipality of Tamuning, it is the center of Guam's tourist industry. History Tumon Bay or A ...

district of

Tamuning Tamuning, also known as Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon ( ch, Tamuneng) is a village located on the western shore of the United States territory of Guam. The village of Tamuning is the economic center of Guam, containing tourist center Tumon, Harmon Indus ...

is the island's de facto

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particu ...

. There are many massage parlours, with 75% opening 24 hours a day. There have been ongoing discussions about establishing a legitimate red-light district since 2006. A Bill was introduced to the

Legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

in 2010 by vice-speaker

Benjamin Cruz Benjamin Joseph "BJ" Franquez Cruz (born March 3, 1951) is an Chamorro lawyer, jurist, and politician who served as the Speaker of the 34th Guam Legislature from 2017 to 2018 and as Vice Speaker from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Par ...

. It proposed re-zoning Tumon and having all the adult entertainment establishments in one designated area. The Bill did not pass into law.

Sex trafficking

Sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the ...

is a problem on the island, although due to poor reporting the extent is not fully known. In 2012, a 70-year-old female was sentenced to life imprisonment for sex trafficking. She owned the "Blue House"

karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...

bar where women were trafficked to and from Chuuk in

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

. The women were promised employment in restaurants or stores but on arrival were forced to work as prostitutes. The manageress of the bar and 2 police officers also faced charges for their involvement. A third police officer disciplined by the police department. It has been suggested that lax policies on massage parlours contributes to sex trafficking.

References

External links

''Exotic''
2016 feature documentary about the commercial sex industry on Guam. Directed by Amy Oden {{Prostitution in the United States, state=collapsed

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

Guamanian culture