PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) have reiterated their joint commitment to combat the crime of online child sexual exploitation through continuous enforcement and community awareness education.
They said in a joint statement yesterday that a total of 1,501 offensive posts involving children were identified between January and June 15, with 94% of them successfully taken down as a result of cooperation with digital platform providers and following public complaints.
They added that through special operations, such as Ops Pedo, a total of 13 individuals were arrested and more than 40,000 child sexual abuse material (CSAM) seized from several states, Bernama reported.
According to the statement, the dissemination, storage or commercialisation of child sexual exploitation content is an offence under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588), which provides for a fine of up to RM1mil, five years’ imprisonment or both.
At the same time, the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 provides for legal action to be taken against any party who produces, disseminates, buys, sells, shares or possesses such related materials.
As a preventive measure, the MCMC has also intensified its Safe Internet Campaign (KIS), which targets students, parents and the community, including an emphasis on the prohibition on the use of social media accounts by children aged below 13.
The MCMC and PDRM urged all parties, including parents, educators and internet users, to cooperate in efforts to curb this crime.
Any suspicious activity can be reported via email to aduanskmm@mcmc.gov.my, the https://aduan.mcmc.gov.my portal or the nearest police station.
