435 Persons Arrested And 109 Investigated In Cross-Border Operation Targeting Online Child Sexual Exploitation Activities

The Singapore Police Force (‘SPF’), in collaboration with Hong Kong Police Force (‘HKPF’), Japan National Police Agency (‘JNPA’), Korean National Police Agency (‘KNPA’), Royal Malaysia Police (‘RMP’) and Royal Thai Police (‘RTP’) have jointly arrested 435 persons in a cross-border operation targeting online child sexual exploitation activities between 24 February 2025 and 28 March 2025. Another 109 persons are assisting with Police investigations. The 525 men and 19 women are aged between 13 and 68. 

During the five-week operation, officers from the Specialised Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (‘CID’), in collaboration with the aforementioned five Police forces, conducted raids at 269 locations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand. Electronic devices, including 84 computers, 279 handphones, 32 tablets, 150 storage devices and 9 routers, as well as child sexual abuse materials created by Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, were seized.

 21 men, aged between 23 and 61, were arrested in Singapore for their suspected involvement in the following offences:

1. producing, possessing, gaining access and distributing child sexual abuse materials under Sections 377BG to 377BK of the Penal Code 1871 (‘PC’);
2. sexual assault involving penetration under Section 376A(2) PC; 
3. threatening to distribute intimate image or recording under Section 377BE PC;
4. sexual communication with minor under Section 376EB PC; and
5. transmission and sale of obscene materials under Section 292(1)(a) PC

They were also investigated for the offence of possession of obscene films under Section 30 of the Films Act 1981. 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. The man also allegedly threatened to publish her photographs online if she refused to share more intimate materials of herself. Police investigations have established the two victims to be foreigners based overseas. 

The punishments for these offences are appended in Annex A.

Amongst the persons arrested in Singapore, 11 have been referred to the Home Team Community Assistance and Referral Scheme (‘HT CARES’), where social workers, also known as CARES officers, will conduct social triaging on them and assess whether further intervention is needed.

1 Deputy Director CID, Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Yeo Yee Chuan expressed his appreciation to all SPF, IMDA, HKPF, JNPA, KNPA, RMP and RTP officers involved for their professionalism and tenacity during the operations. He said, “Crimes against children are unacceptable and must be actively prevented. With the internet and the rapid evolution of technology, the distribution of child sexual abuse materials has become faster, more widespread, and increasingly anonymous. To combat this, it is crucial for the law enforcement agencies to continue taking tough and coordinated cross border enforcement actions to dismantle online child sexual exploitation networks and disrupt their activities. Public-private partnership is extremely important in tackling the scourge of online child sexual exploitation given that the materials are transmitted via online platforms with some perpetrators making payments to access them. The collaboration between SPF, foreign law enforcement agencies and private entities has enabled the rescue of children and apprehension of perpetrators. Singapore takes a serious view of child sexual exploitation and abuse, and will spare no effort to protect children from such harm. Those found engaging in such activities will be dealt firmly in accordance with the law.”

Photographs of operations executed by law enforcement agencies

Photographs from Singapore Police Force ▼

Photographs from Japan National Police Agency ▼

Photographs from Korean National Police Agency ▼







Photographs from Royal Thai Police ▼

Annex A – Punishments for offences 

According to Section 377BK(1) of the Penal Code 1871, any person who has in possession, or has gained access to child abuse material, and knows or has reason to believe that the material is child abuse material, shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to a fine or caning.

According to Section 377BI(1) of the Penal Code 1871, any person who distributes, or sell, or offer for sale child abuse material or have in the possession child abuse material for the purpose of such distribution, sale or offer for sale, and know or have reason to believe that the material is child abuse material, shall be guilty of an offence under and shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine or caning.

According to Section 376A(2) of the Penal Code 1871, any person who commits sexual assault involving penetration against another person without his/her consent, or if the other person is below 14 years of age, shall be guilty of an offence under and shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years, and shall also be liable to a fine or caning.

According to Section 377BE(1) of the Penal Code 1871, any person who threatens the distribution of an intimate image or recording of another person without his/her consent to the distribution; and knows or has reason to believe that the threat will or is likely to cause that person humiliation, alarm or distress shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with caning, or with any combination of such punishments. If the victim is below 14 years of age, the offender shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to a fine or caning.

According to Section 376EB(1) of the Penal Code 1871, any person of or above 18 years of age shall be guilty of an offence if he/she, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification from another person below 16 years of age, engages in communication that is sexual in nature. That person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both if the victim is below 14 years of age, and in any other case, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

According to Section 292(1)(a) of the Penal Code 1871, whoever sells, lets to hire, distributes, transmits by electronic means, publicly exhibits or in any manner puts into circulation, or for purposes of sale, hire, distribution, transmission, public exhibition or circulation, makes, produces, or has in his possession any obscene book, pamphlet, paper, drawing, painting, representation or figure, or any other obscene object whatsoever, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine, or with both.