21 men arrested in S’pore during cross-border operation targeting online child sexual exploitation activities

21 men arrested in Singapore for offences such as sexual communication with a minor

21 men have been arrested in Singapore during a cross-border operation targeting online child sexual exploitation activities.

In a Facebook post on Friday (4 April), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said the men are aged between 23 and 61.

Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook

21 men arrested for offences such as sexual assault

The men were arrested for suspected involvement in a host of offences, namely:

• Producing, possessing, gaining access and distributing child sexual abuse materials
• Sexual assault involving penetration
• Threatening to distribute intimate images or recordings
• Sexual communication with a minor
• Transmission and sale of obscene materials

They are also under investigation for the offence of possession of obscene films under Section 30 of the Films Act 1981.

Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook

43-year-old allegedly paid female victim to livestream sexual acts

One of the men, aged 43, allegedly paid a young female victim to perform sexual acts over livestream for several years.

Another of the men, aged 24, allegedly engaged in sexual communication with another young female victim.

They also allegedly exchanged intimate photographs with each other.

He allegedly threatened to publish the victim’s intimate photographs online if she refused to share more of them.

Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook

Both victims are foreigners based overseas, according to police investigations.

21 men arrested among 435 nabbed in 5-week operation against child sexual exploitation

The 21 men arrested were among 435 individuals nabbed in a five-week cross-border operation between 24 Feb 2025 and 28 March 2025.

It involved the Specialised Crime Branch of SPF’s Criminal Investigation Department and five other police forces across Asia, namely the:

• Hong Kong Police Force
• Japan National Police Agency
• Korean National Police Agency
• Royal Malaysia Police
• Royal Thai Police

Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook

Officers raided 269 locations in the six countries, also seizing electronic devices, including:

• 84 computers
• 279 handphones
• 32 tablets
• 150 storage devices
• 9 routers

Also seized were child sexual abuse materials created by Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.

Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook

Besides the 435 arrested, another 109 individuals are assisting police investigations.

In total, 525 men and 19 women, aged between 13 and 68, were involved.

Singapore takes serious view of child sexual exploitation & abuse: SPF

Singapore takes “a serious view” of child sexual exploitation and abuse, SPF said.

Thus, it will “spare no effort” to protect children from such harm, it added, noting:

Those found engaging in such activities will be dealt firmly in accordance with the law.

Also read: M’sia police rescue 402 children from welfare homes who were abused & sexually assaulted

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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force on Facebook.