On a muggy Friday evening in the northern Brazilian city of Recife, Jonathan Costa is looking out for young girls selling their bodies on the street. Driving through downtown Recife in a white Volkswagen people carrier, he points out the flags of different countries that line the beachfront.
‘The sex agents use these flags during the day to meet up with potential customers,’ he says. ‘It’s one of the many codes the industry has here. If you’re from Germany, for example, you wait under the German flag and someone will come hook you up.’
