PUBLISHED ONApril 04, 2025 7:10 AMByHoon Jeng JeeTwenty-one men have been arrested in Singapore for suspected online child sex activities, the police said in a statement on April 4 (Friday).
The men, aged between 23 and 61, are among the 435 people who have been arrested in a cross-border operation involving Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
Another 109 persons are assisting with police investigations. The 525 men and 19 women are aged between 13 and 68.
The five-week operation took place from Feb 24 to March 28 across 269 locations in the six territories.
Officers from the Specialised Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department collaborated with other police forces to conduct raids.
Child sexual abuse materials created by Generative Artificial Intelligence tools and over 550 electronic devices were seized.
The offences faced by the 21 men include producing, possessing, gaining access and distributing child sexual abuse materials, which carries a jail term of up to seven years along with a fine or caning.
For sexual assault involving penetration without consent or if the other person is below 14 years of age, the men face up to 20 years in jail with a fine or caning.
Preliminary investigations revealed that a 43-year-old man allegedly paid a young female victim for her live-streamed sexual acts over several years.
Another 24-year-old man allegedly exchanged intimate photographs with another young female victim and threatened to publish her photographs online if she refused to share more intimate materials.
Police have established the two victims to be foreigners based overseas.
Eleven of the men arrested in Singapore have been referred to the Home Team Community Assistance and Referral Scheme, where social workers will assess whether further intervention is needed.
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