Commissioner of Police of the Hong Kong Police Force Raymond Siu Chak-yee speaks during a multi-disciplinary seminar on online child sexual abuse held by the Police Force in Hong Kong on March 21, 2024. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVT)

Commissioner of Police of the Hong Kong Police Force Raymond Siu Chak-yee said the growing number of cases of online child sex abuse — with the youngest reported victim being only 9 years old — is a wake-up call for society, and said that a concerted effort from all sectors of the community is needed to prevent and crack down on such crimes.

Siu made his remarks at a multi-disciplinary seminar on online child sexual abuse held by the Police Force on Thursday. The seminar was attended by experts and representatives from relevant sectors to discuss how to better protect children from the threat of online sexual predators.

Topics covered at the event included international trends in online sexual abuse against children, the reasons why children fall into online sexual traps,and  patterns of offenders and related cases

The police chief said Hong Kong has seen a nearly five-fold jump in the number of technology-facilitated crimes over the past decade. In 2023, the number reached 34,112, accounting for more than 35 percent of the city’s total crimes, he said.

ALSO READ: Hong Kong welcomes first batch of blueberries from Foshan

Siu noted that in recent years, the police have witnessed an increase in the number of cases involving children who have been sexually blackmailed, defrauded and sexually assaulted by people they have met in the virtual world. Of the “naked chats” and “compensated dating” frauds committed, more than 900, or about 20 percent, were targeted at students, with the youngest victim being only 9 years old, Siu added.

Children study, make friends and entertain themselves online, but if they inadvertently fall into a trap online, the consequences can affect their entire lives, Siu said. Against this backdrop, concerted efforts are needed from every sector of the community to effectively help children avoid or recognize and take appropriate steps to deal with such threats in cyberspace, and to tackle online criminals, the police chief said.

Siu mentioned several measures implemented by the police to counter technology-facilitated crimes, including the CyberDefender.hk website and the Scameter app, which enable users to check the authenticity of web links, emails, phone numbers, bank accounts and more. Meanwhile, the Child Protection Web Application is a one-stop website providing children with information about how to protect themselves, as well as comic books and animations featuring crime prevention advice for children.

ALSO READ: Police nab fraudsters suspected of bilking HK$23 million

Over 500 police officers, parents, principals, teachers, social workers, and child-related workers participated in the seminar, both online and in person.

Topics covered at the event included international trends in online sexual abuse against children, the reasons why children fall into online sexual traps, patterns of offenders and related cases, as well as early intervention advice and suggestions for prevention, identification, and responses to related crimes.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com