Undercover Investigations of the Korean Police on Cases of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

• In Event: Technology-Facilitated Crimes Against Children (Organized by Korean Society of Criminology in America (KoSCA) & Sponsored by the Division of Cybercrime (DC))

Abstract

A revision of the Youth Sexual Protection Act has allowed the Korean police to conduct undercover investigations by either disguising police identity or maintaining confidentiality against illegal activities such as possession, sales, and sharing of Child Sexual Abuse Materials(CSAM) since September 2021. This study aims to empirically assess whether the legal change could strengthen the capability of police investigations for the identification and arrest of offenders who engaged in online CSAM and could mitigate the behaviors of those sex offenders. The research team has interviewed a dozen police investigators who have been actively involved in investigating CSAM cases. Via thematic analysis, three main themes (1. characteristics of digital sex crimes against children and adolescents, 2. practical understanding and exploration of the revised law, and 3. future direction of law revision reflecting practice) are analyzed and discussed.

Author

• Jeyong Jung, University of Ulsan