The commercial sexual exploitation of children consists of criminal practices that demean, degrade and threaten the physical and psychosocial integrity of children. Commercial sexual exploitation of children is the sexual abuse of a minor by an adult for commercial purposes, therefore against payment in the form of money or another form of compensation (such as clothing or gifts), or the promise of it.

Commercial sexual exploitation of children occurs worldwide, also in the Netherlands. The International Convention on the Rights of the Child of the United Nations (CRC) from 1989 forms the guiding principle for the fight against sexual exploitation of children. On 8th of March 1995 the Netherlands became a party of the CRC. According to the convention children are defined as all persons younger than eighteen years and must all children be protected against every form of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.

There are four forms of commercial sexual exploitation of children:
1) Child prostitution
2) Trafficking of Children for sexual purposes
3) Child sex tourism
4) Child pornography