The South Korean police have identified 1,415 suspects in digital sex crimes involving minors through sting operations in the past three years. These operations, which involve concealing the police officer’s identity to capture criminals, are exclusively used for such cases in South Korea.
The sting operations have been effective in investigating the production, sale, and viewing of child sexual abuse material, resulting in 94 detentions. The suspects identified were involved in various crimes, including the sale and distribution of child sexual abuse material, possession and viewing, production, brokering, distribution of illegally filmed footage, and conversations for sexually exploitative purposes.
The adoption of sting operation tactics follows an amendment to the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses in response to the shock waves caused by digital sexual crimes in South Korean society. The police explained that these investigations are a growing trend, with an increase in the number of people caught in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Moving forward, the police plan to intensify crackdowns on sexual crimes involving illegal deepfakes and increase the use of sting operations. These efforts aim to protect children and youth from digital sex crimes and address the challenges faced by law enforcement in tracking down perpetrators.
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