Digital Sex Crime 'Undercover Investigation' Fully Introduced on the 24th... Police Investigator Training

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The National Police Agency announced that it will conduct undercover investigator training from the 6th to the 10th of this month ahead of the implementation of digital sex crime undercover investigations scheduled for the 24th.

The training targets 40 undercover investigators recommended by each city and provincial police agency. They will receive education at the Police Investigation Training Institute located in Asan-si, Chungnam, covering topics such as ▲concepts and procedures of undercover investigations ▲online grooming ▲personality and aptitude tests ▲undercover investigation systems, techniques, and cases from the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) ▲understanding the realities of digital sex crimes and victims ▲victim investigation techniques ▲tracking and practical exercises related to digital sex crimes.

A police official stated, "Considering the importance of this being the first system introduced domestically, we determined that face-to-face training is necessary," adding, "We plan to conduct the training after establishing COVID-19 prevention measures."

The amended Youth Protection Act, which serves as the legal basis for introducing police undercover investigations, passed the National Assembly in February and will take effect on the 24th of this month. Undercover investigations are broadly divided into identity non-disclosure investigations and identity disguise investigations. Identity non-disclosure investigations involve hiding the police officer's identity and approaching the perpetrator as if they were a purchaser of sexual exploitation materials to collect evidence. These investigations require approval from the head of the investigative department at a higher police agency and must be reported to the National Assembly and the National Police Commission after the investigation.

Identity disguise investigations can involve creating identification cards for fictitious persons. To conduct investigations using this method, the police must obtain a prosecutor's request and court approval. However, since issuing fictitious resident registration cards or driver's licenses is difficult under current law, alternatives such as modifying actual identification cards or creating student IDs for use are reportedly being considered.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.