TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Metro Police have cracked down on an online child pornography ring who sold porn pictures and videos via Twitter account @VGKSale.
Three members of the ring, identified as Yul, 19, Her, 30, and Ik, 30, were arrested in three different locations. Jakarta Police Director for Criminal Justice Sr. Comr. Adi Deriyan said that the offenders themselves were victims of sexual abuse during their younger years. “They were victims. We will offer a therapy,” he told a press conference yesterday.
According to the police, the three suspects touted child porn images and videos on Twitter. The pornographic contents mostly show adult males having sex with children. Buyers would pay by transferring money through ATM or in exchange for phone credit. In one transaction, buyers could get 30-50 porn images or videos. After receiving payments, the offenders would share the contents via WhatsApp or messaging service Telegram.
The police added that an offender claimed to have made transactions with 150 people. The police have seized Rp10 million and 750,000 child porn contents. “The transactions involved a total of 500,000 images or videos,” the police said.
The offenders are affiliated to child porn rings in 49 countries, according to the police. They claimed to get pornographic contents after joining WhatsApp and Telegram chat groups, among others. Jakarta Police Cyber Crime Unit nabbed the child pornography ring in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Child Protection Commission (KPAI) chairman Susanto sees a shifting trend toward child sexual abuse. “The victims were used to be girls. Now, boys are being targeted for sexual abuse,” he said at Jakarta Metro Police Headquarters.
ADAM PRIREZA | JAJANG JAMALUDIN
