SINGAPORE: Officers officers from six Eastern jurisdictions have arrested 435 people- including 21 men in Singapore- for their suspected participation in online baby sexual exploitation activities.
Police forces from Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand conducted a cross-border operation from Feb 24 to Mar 28, the Singapore Police Force ( SPF ) said on Friday ( Apr 4).
An extra 109 citizens are also assisting with examinations, bringing the total number of individuals targeted to 525 people and 19 people aged between 13 and 68.
During the five-week activity, officers from the professional crime unit of Singapore’s Criminal Investigation Department, in cooperation with the five other officers forces,  , conducted raids at 269 locations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand.
Digital devices, including 84 servers, 279 handphones, 32 devices, 150 backup devices and 9 devices, as well as child sexual abuse substances created by conceptual artificial intelligence tools, were seized.
In Singapore, the 21 males- aged between 23 and 61- were arrested for their feared presence in:
- Developing, possessing, gaining entry and distributing child sexual abuse components
- Physical assault
- Threatening to disperse romantic images or recordings
- Physical communication with a slight
- Sales and transmission of vulgar materials
- Possession of vulgar videos
Presenting child abuse materials carries a maximum prison term of five decades, while distributing or selling such materials is punishable with up to seven years ‘ prison. Both offences also attract a fine or caning.
Preliminary investigations revealed that a 43-year-old man allegedly paid a young female victim over the span of several years in exchange for her live-streamed sexual acts.
Another 24-year-old man allegedly engaged in sexual communication with another young female victim and they had exchanged intimate photographs with each other.
SPF said the man also , allegedly threatened to publish her photographs online if she refused to share more intimate materials of herself.
The two victims are non-Singaporeans , based overseas, said SPF.