Police: Hong Kong juveniles becoming victims of child pornography, sex crimes amid pandemic

There have been 85 reports of unlawful sexual intercourse between January and September this year, compared with 71 over the same period last year. ‘Sextortion’ cases jumped to 616 during the first three quarters of this year from 171 over the whole of last year. — SCMP

Hong Kong juveniles as young as seven are increasingly becoming victims of child pornography or sex crimes as they take to the Internet to make friends while getting stuck at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, police have warned.

The force also said cases of “sextortion”, in which victims aged 12 to 64 were blackmailed after compromising online chats were recorded, jumped from 171 over the whole of last year to 616 between January and September this year.