8 out of 10 Deepfake Sexual Crime Suspects Are Teenagers... 71 Juvenile Offenders Detained

Among the deepfake sex crime suspects apprehended this year, 8 out of 10 were teenagers.

According to the National Police Agency on the 16th, from January 1 to October 14 this year, 474 suspects of deepfake sex crimes were arrested. By age group, there were 381 teenagers (including 71 juvenile offenders exempt from criminal liability), 75 in their 20s, 13 in their 30s, 2 in their 40s, and 3 aged 50 and above.

The police launched a special intensive crackdown on deepfake sex crimes starting August 28. As a result, the average daily number of reported deepfake sex crime cases increased from 1.85 to 9.92. For seven months until March 31 next year, the cyber sexual violence investigation teams of city and provincial police agencies will actively conduct crackdowns, thoroughly tracking and arresting suspects from the production to the distribution of deepfake content.

At the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee hearing on the 11th, Police Commissioner General Jo Ji-ho stated, "Although we have done our best this year to maintain stable public order and law enforcement, there were still numerous incidents and accidents that disrupted the peaceful daily lives of citizens. Violent crimes stemming from stalking and dating violence, as well as deepfake sex crimes that destroy others’ dignity, have caused anxiety not only among women and youth, who are socially vulnerable, but also among the general public." He added, "We are committed to establishing a comprehensive safety net covering prevention, investigation, and victim protection for relational crimes and digital sex crimes."