16 arrested for distributing child sexual abuse material on SNS

Cross-border cooperation targets online exploitation

US organizations flagged suspects to Korean police

Child sexual abuse material found stored on a suspect's PC seized by police. [Korean National Police Agency]
Child sexual abuse material found stored on a suspect's PC seized by police. [Korean National Police Agency]

Police arrested 16 suspects for possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material after receiving tips that originated in the United States.

The Korean National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters said Monday it had apprehended 16 people over the past four months for distributing sexual exploitation material domestically and abroad.

The investigation began when a person in the United States reported child sexual abuse material circulating on SNS to an American organization. That organization identified the distributors as being based in South Korea and passed the information to Korean police.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report that child sexual abuse material was being distributed on Meta. NCMEC determined that the suspects were operating from South Korea and forwarded the information to Korean police, who eventually identified and located them. A subsequent search and seizure and forensic examination revealed that the suspect had possessed a large volume of sexual exploitation material and had attempted to sell it on SNS.

Another US nonprofit, the Child Rescue Coalition (CRC), provided Korean police with information on domestic suspects who had possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material through peer-to-peer file-sharing sites. A search and seizure confirmed that one suspect had possessed more than 1,000 pieces of child sexual abuse material, and police are now investigating that person on distribution charges as well.

NCMEC, CRC and similar organizations operate child sexual abuse material detection systems covering major online platforms including Google, Meta and X. When these bodies identify suspected offenses, they notify law enforcement agencies in South Korea and other countries.

Police added that they had secured the original storage media containing the exploitation material during the investigation, cutting off the possibility of further distribution.

A National Investigation Headquarters official warned that "viewing or possessing child sexual abuse material alone constitutes a serious crime," and that "all related traces are collected through various channels, including international cooperation, and fall within the reach of police investigations — we strongly warn people not to even attempt it." The official added that police "will do their utmost to proactively investigate using every lead obtained at home and abroad, and to block distribution."


arin@heraldcorp.com