Police Conduct Intensive Crackdown on Digital Sexual Violence: 3,557 Arrested, 221 Taken into Custody

[Financial News] This year, the number of digital sexual violence crimes detected has increased by more than 50% compared to the previous year.
The National Office of Investigation of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) announced on the 16th that it conducted an 'intensive crackdown on digital sexual violence' from November 1 last year to October 31 this year. As a result, a total of 3,411 cases were detected and 3,557 individuals were arrested. Of these, 221 were taken into custody.
During the crackdown period, the number of digital sexual violence crimes detected was 3,411, a 50.1% increase from 2,273 cases the previous year. The number of individuals apprehended also rose by 47.8%, from 2,406 to 3,557. Consequently, the arrest rate increased from 69.5% to 77.3%.
The number of incidents reported grew by 35.0%, from 3,270 last year to 4,413 this year. By type, false video crimes accounted for the largest share of all digital sexual violence cases at 1,553 (35.2%), followed by child and youth sexual exploitation materials at 1,513 (34.3%), illegal filming at 857 (19.4%), and illegal sexual content at 490 (11.1%).
Deepfake-related sexual crimes encompass both false video crimes under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes and child and youth sexual exploitation materials edited or synthesized using Deepfake and similar technologies. During the crackdown period, there were a total of 1,827 Deepfake-related sexual crimes. Of these, 1,462 cases were detected and 1,438 individuals were arrested.
By age group, teenagers accounted for the largest proportion of suspects at 47.6%, followed by those in their 20s (33.2%), 30s (12.7%), 40s (4.6%), and 50s or older (1.9%).
During the crackdown, the KNPA requested the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) to delete or block 36,135 illegal videos, and the Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center facilitated support for 28,356 victims.
The KNPA will conduct the '2026 Intensive Crackdown on Digital Sexual Violence' from November 17 this year to October 31 next year. In particular, this crackdown will focus on apprehending new types of crimes that exploit Deepfake, Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI), and related technologies. The investigation system will continue to be centered on dedicated investigative teams at city and provincial police agencies, and systems such as Deepfake detection software will also be further advanced.
Additionally, upon receiving a report, authorities will immediately request the deletion or blocking of sexual exploitation materials and actively seek cooperation from both domestic and international platform operators. The KNPA also plans to coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure that platform operators fulfill their obligations to prevent the distribution of sexual exploitation materials.
Park Woo Hyun, Cyber Investigation Officer at the KNPA, stated, "As AI technology advances and social media becomes more active, digital sexual violence crimes are becoming increasingly sophisticated and covert. Digital sexual violence is a serious crime that destroys the dignity of victims, and we will do our utmost to eradicate these crimes and protect victims."
[email protected] Jang Yoo-ha Reporter