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No more 'child rape holidays': Convicted pedophiles to lose travel rights

Convicted pedophiles will be banned from travelling overseas and have their passports cancelled in a proposed law change Senator Derryn Hinch says will put an end to "child rape holidays".

The proposed changes have given the senator and long-time anti-pedophile campaigner reason to celebrate a first-year achievement as a politician.

"This will be the greatest thing I could achieve in my first year in the senate," Hinch told the Herald Sun.

"I could have been on 3AW for years banging away about this, but being elected to the Senate made it possible."

Senator Derryn Hinch is ecstatic about the changes. Source: AAP
Senator Derryn Hinch is ecstatic about the changes. Source: AAP

Under new measures to be introduced by the federal government next month it will be illegal for convicted child-sex offenders to leave or attempt to leave Australia.

The Herald Sun reports the new legislation will also prevent dual citizens on child-sex offender registers from travelling.

Currently there are 20,000 child-sex offenders listed on the Australian National Child Offender Register.

Figures show 780 pedophiles travelled overseas last year with many heading to at-risk countries in South East Asia.

The new law will ban convicted pedophiles from travelling overseas. Source: AAP
The new law will ban convicted pedophiles from travelling overseas. Source: AAP

Hinch said he was "over the moon" on news of the impending law change.

The veteran child protection campaigner told the newspaper about 40 per cent of convicted pedophiles were heading to South East Asia for "child rape holiday".

"It is unconscionable behaviour and we are going to stop it," Hinch said.

The law change will give the convicted sex offenders no avenue for appeal.

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