Online child sexual exploitation surges, 1.5mil abusive files detected
- P.S. the Children
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
May 20, 2026 @ 11:01am
SHAH ALAM: Online child sexual exploitation crimes in the country are showing an alarming rise, with more than 1.47 million digital files linked to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) detected through four major operations conducted from 2024 until April this year.
According to a report by Sinar Harian, data comparisons from Op Pedo 1.0, Operation Cyber Guardian 2025, Op Pedo 2.0 and Operation Cyber Guardian 2026 showed that 117 individuals were arrested across 162 locations nationwide.
Throughout the operations, authorities seized 272 digital devices, including mobile phones, computers and hard drives, believed to have been used to store and distribute CSAM.
The sharpest increase was recorded during Op Pedo 2.0 in September 2025, when more than 880,000 digital files were discovered, nearly 20 times higher than the approximately 40,000 files detected during Op Pedo 1.0 in December 2024.
Operation Cyber Guardian 2026 involved cooperation among seven countries, namely Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan.
Through the operation, 69 arrests were made across 101 locations, with 498,694 digital files detected, including 204,934 confirmed CSAM files.
Op Pedo 2.0 also revealed the involvement of youths, with six minors among the 31 individuals arrested.
Previous media reports stated that a 17-year-old boy was believed to have earned tens of thousands of ringgit by selling child sexual exploitation material through Telegram.
Protect and Save the Children executive director Amnani A Kadir said children are facing silent threats of paedophilia and sexual exploitation as perpetrators can easily approach victims online.
She said digital platforms have created borderless access, allowing anyone to communicate with children, even when they are alone in their rooms.
"In the past, access to children was limited to individuals brought into the home by parents.
"But now, anyone can approach them through mobile phones and digital platforms," she said.
Amnani said online games and social media platforms were among the channels frequently used before perpetrators moved conversations to private messaging applications.
She said perpetrators would usually attempt to gain victims' trust before asking for photographs or personal information.
"They use various methods, including offering gifts, video game credits, emotional attention and compliments to make children feel appreciated and special," she said.
More worryingly, she said perpetrators would manipulate victims' photographs using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to create obscene images as blackmail material.
"Some perpetrators threaten to spread the images to parents or on social media if victims refuse to follow their instructions, causing children to become fearful and panic-stricken," she added.
Amnani said sexual abuse and grooming cases involving children have increased over the past decade.
She said that many parents failed to detect early signs of grooming and instead tended to blame their children.
"The biggest problem is when children come forward, they are blamed. Such reactions cause many children to choose to remain silent," she said.
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