Through the ‘OP Pedo’ operation conducted by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), 31 suspects involved in child sexual exploitation have been nabbed.
Here are two shocking details revealed by PDRM in a press conference today (24 October) at the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur:
One of the suspects is only 12 years old, and another 17-year-old suspect made a whopping RM76,000 from selling child pornography materials.
The pornographic video content was sold for prices as low as around RM30.
In Op Pedo, which was carried out from 22 September to 30 October, several other individuals were arrested in the same series of operations.
Among those arrested are teachers, engineers, graphic designers, cooks, school and university students, as well as the unemployed. Suspects’ ages range from 12 to 71.
Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail, said the 17-year-old made 5-figures from January to September this year.
“This shows a very worrying shift in moral standards among the younger generation.”
82 digital devices, including computers, mobile phones, modems, and digital storage, were seized by the police. Initial analysis results found more than 880,000 digital files containing CSAM and adult pornography, an increase of more than 20 times compared to the first operation conducted in December last year.
As of now, 15 of the 17 suspects charged in court have pleaded guilty and been fined between RM1,000 and RM10,000, while the other two have sought trial.
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“The modus operandi detected involved downloading, storing and distributing child pornography through applications such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Dark Web and Cloud Storage.”
“Some of the suspects also acted as administrators of Telegram groups and offered paid access to CSAM material using e-wallet transactions and banking QR codes,” Khalid said.
Khalid, while assuring that PDRM will not compromise with child sexual exploitation, also urged parents to monitor their children’s use of digital devices.
