By Hazel Camba
South Korean police have joined forces with authorities from Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong in a large-scale operation to combat online child exploitation.
The National Office of Investigation (NOI) said that the operation, conducted in February and March, led to the arrest of 435 suspects across the region.
Of these, South Korea recorded the highest number of arrests, with 374 individuals apprehended – 258 were found possessing or viewing child abuse materials, 74 were producing the content, and 42 were involved in distributing it.
According to NOI, as cited by Yonhap News Agency, the majority of the offenders in South Korea were minors, with 213 in their teens.
Others were in their 20s (127) and 30s (23).
Japan apprehended a total of 111 individuals, while Singapore arrested 21.
In a statement released by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), they revealed that among the suspects apprehended was a 43-year-old man who allegedly paid a young woman to live-stream sexual acts.
Another was a 23-year-old boy who allegedly exchanged intimate photographs with a young female victim and later threatened to post these photos online unless she sent more.
SPF said that the two victims were not Singaporeans and were based abroad.
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Call for stronger global action
Senior Assistant Commissioner Yeo Yee Chuan of Singapore’s Criminal Investigation Department said the internet and the rapid evolution of technology have worsened these crimes – making the child sexual abuse materials spread faster and more anonymously.
“Crimes against children are unacceptable and must be actively prevented,” he said, further condemning the act.
The NOI also expressed their concerns, saying that the damage inflicted on young victims were “irreparable.”
They called for a stronger international response and vowed to strengthen cross-border cooperation to address the matter.
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