Seventeen-year-old Cindy (name changed to protect identity) is a sweet and sparky school girl. She came bouncing into a fast food joint on a weekday evening and took a quick look around. She then hurried towards a table at the corner.

Cindy took out her student ID card and showed it to her client waiting for her. Before long, they slipped into an intense and intimate discussion and soon they left the place for 'pleasure'.

School girls in the city are lured by 'enjo kosai' to earn pocket money, according to a survey by the Yau Tsim Mong Integrated Center for Youth Development of Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service.

The Japanese term meaning "compensated dating" is often used as an euphemism for prostitution.

What's even more shocking is that there had been a surge in 'enjo kosai' via Internet among the city school girls.

Cindy said she gets HK$1,300 for sex service. While Cindy sells her flesh to pay for the tuition fees her family could not afford, more and more underage girls in Hong Kong are selling sex to earn pocket money and to cover tuition expenses.

Over the last few years, 'enjo kosai' has spread its tentacles from Japan to Hong Kong.

The survey revealed a surge in 'enjo kosai' via the Internet, as the number of relevant websites rose from 10 in 2006 to over 40 in 2007.

From online classifieds to random chat rooms, young girls are posting their resumes, pictures, services and fees. While sexual intercourse may cost anything between HK$1,000 and HK$1,800, even taking a girl out for an afternoon can cost up to HK$1,200.

The Centre's supervisor Chiu Tak-choi said that the exchanges do not always involve sexual services, since some girls also pose as the clients' girlfriends on social gatherings or sell their worn underwear for a price.

"Most of the girls who enter the professions are from broken-families. They were deprived of love and care," Chiu said. "Some want quick bucks, while others make the money to pay for their boyfriends' bills."

Echoing Chiu's views, Chairperson for TeenAIDS Atty Ching said the lack of parental love and affection have driven these young girls to 'enjo kosai', as they seek to affirm their self-worth through material gains.

Some of the websites also contain "enjo kosai manuals" for young working girls who want to enter the trade. Advice ranges from opening a new SIM card for work, to how to detect hidden cameras in hotel rooms.

"None of these tips works in reality," Chiu said. "A number of girls have got pregnant through the sexual exchanges. Others have contracted sexually transmitted diseases."

Despite its potential dangers, 'enjo kosai' continues to lure young girls into the prostitution. Nikita (not her real name), a 16-year-old high school student, said the trade has become popular among her peers.

"The money is too good," said Nikita. "With a few clients a month, I can get whatever video games and clothes I want without asking my parents. A lot of girls are getting into it, including a few of my friends."

If 'enjo kosai' reflects the youth's moral decadence, the impact has even been extended to local teenage boys as they turn into eager customers, said Chui Yat-hung, lecturer in Applied Social Sciences, the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong.

"Some of these boys may even be younger than the working girls," said Chui. "They look for 'enjo kosai' girls online, since they dare not visit traditional night clubs because of underage or lack of experience."

Speaking about the measures to combat the evil, Chui said local schools have an important role to play in reinforcing the right values among the youngsters through reinforced sex and moral education.

"The teenagers should learn there is no difference between prostitution and enjo kosai," said Chiu. "Even one-off trade can have lasting impact on a teenager's development."

Taking part in 'enjo kosai' can also bring legal troubles for the young girls, since advertising one's sex services and fees on the Internet is illegal, said solicitor Vistus Leung.

"The Internet is a public space and anyone who posts such advertisements can be charged with soliciting for an immoral purpose," said Leung. "It's even illegal to initiate sexual exchanges for money during an online chat."

A police spokesperson said while individual cases vary, it is illegal to engage in sexual intercourse with girls aged 16 or below.

(HK Edition 11/28/2007 page6)