Most Suspects Are Teenagers and Young Adults
Police to Continue Expanding International Cooperation
The National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters announced on the 5th that police from six countries?Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong?conducted a special crackdown on child sexual exploitation materials, arresting a total of 435 individuals.
From February 24 to the 28th of last month, police from each country carried out a special operation named "Cyber Guardians" targeting crimes involving child sexual exploitation materials. Among the 435 arrested, 374 were Korean nationals, of whom 13 were detained.
The largest group consisted of 258 individuals who possessed or viewed child sexual exploitation materials. Seventy-four were producers, and 42 were distributors. By age group, there were 213 teenagers, 127 people in their 20s, 23 in their 30s, 10 in their 40s, and 1 person aged 50 or older.
Examining major crime cases, suspects threatened minor victims to receive nude photos or captured the faces of minor victims to synthesize and distribute pornographic materials. Some cases involved capturing photos posted on social networking services (SNS) and using them in crimes.
A police official stated, "Due to the nature of cybercrime, once child sexual exploitation materials are distributed, they spread worldwide, so active response through international cooperation is crucial," adding, "We will continue to expand the international cooperation network going forward."
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