96 child sex offenders apprehended in police undercover investigation

SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- Police have apprehended 96 child sex offenders and arrested six of them through undercover investigation adopted last year for digital sex crimes against children, officials said Tuesday.

Police conducted an undercover investigation in a total of 90 cases after the method was allowed through the amendment of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses in September following a series of shocking child sex exploitation cases that broke out in 2020.

Of the total cases, investigators did not disclose their police identity in 81 cases, nabbing 24 suspects, and used fake identities in the remaining nine cases, catching 72 suspects.

Most of the cases, or 83.3 percent, were sales, distribution or advertisements of child sex abuse materials, followed by the production of such materials at 11.1 percent, possession of such materials at 3.3 percent and the act of approaching children for sexual exploitation at 2.2 percent.

The National Police Agency said it has created a special team to inspect the undercover probe to prevent improper use of the method, such as inducing people to commit a crime or using the gathered evidence for purposes other than investigation.

But no such cases have been found, officials said.

nyway@yna.co.kr
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