Easy access to online social networks, themes portrayed in modern Latin American soap operas and the open discussion of family finances are causal factors driving young girls to prostitute themselves in Costa Rica.

In mid-March, the incident of a 40-year old man reportedly sought to pay a 13-year old girl 150,000 colones (about $300) in exchange for a sexual session was reported by Josue Alvarado of popular online news daily Costa Rica Hoy.

The incident above culminated with the arrest and prosecution of the 40-year old male, but agents from the Office of Judicial Investigations (Spanish initials: OIJ) believed that other young girls may have organized a prostitution ring that operated on Facebook.

As part of an investigative report into the incidence of minors turning to prostitution in Costa Rica, Mr. Alvarado interviewed Laura Chinchilla (not the former President), a psychologist from the National Council on Childhood (Spanish acronym: PANI).

Ms. Chinchilla explained that the case above illustrates societal factors that may be influencing young girls in Costa Rica to seek an early path of prostitution. To Ms. Chinchilla, minors seeking monetary remuneration for sex is the basis of more than 300 complaints received by PANI thus far in 2016.

It all starts with young girls spending a significant part of their time on social networks, where they are bound to receive indecent proposals if they present themselves in a provocative manner, similar to the the characters portrayed in soap operas. What may be prompting these girls to accept these proposals is that they may be seeking to increase their purchasing power.

When parents in Costa Rica discuss their Call Girls from Costa Rica are Highly Paid in Hondurasdifficult financial situation and ponder how nice it would be to live debt-free lives that allow them to purchase cars, flat-screen televisions and fancy smartphones, their young daughters are listening.

Ms. Chinchilla further explained that it is becoming increasingly difficult for parents to detect negative behaviors in their daughters because young girls are becoming adept at living duplicitous lives, and this is something they not only learn from TV but also discuss in private with their Facebook friends.