Police of HK and four other countries join forces to combat child pornography

A total of 272 people aged 12 to 73 were arrested in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and Australia by their local police force during an interterritorial operation combating child pornography. 

The operations were conducted between February 26 and last Friday, Hong Kong police said, seizing over 400 computers, external drives and 155 phones. 

Superintendent Rachel Hui Yee-wai from the police's Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau said 13 men aged 31 to 73 were arrested in Hong Kong during the operation. 

They were reportedly chefs, technicians, teachers, and retirees, and were arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography as well as procuring persons under 18 for making pornography. 

A total of 21 computers, nine phones, and 75 external drivers were seized, where officers found at least 972 videos and pictures upon preliminary estimation. No local victims were reported so far. 

One of the arrestees in Hong Kong was an administrative staffer at a local school and he has been suspended from duty already, police said. 

He allegedly approached underage teens and children and lured them to send him nude pictures after chatting with them and gaining their trust. 

Police added that Hong Kong reported 63 cases related to child pornography last year and in over 80 percent of the cases the abusers and the children met online. 

Over 90 percent of the victims were girls and some 70 percent were aged between 12 and 16. 

Police said the existence of child pornography, no matter in what form, will only encourage pedophilic behaviors and possessing or distributing these videos and pictures are indirectly advocating criminals to produce more similar items. 

Police also urged the public not to download and distribute any child pornography articles and not to engage in any acts to abuse underage teens and children. 

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