Deepfake Sexual Crimes Reported at an Average of 12.66 Cases per Day... Sevenfold Increase After Intensive Crackdown

387 Suspects Arrested This Year

Recently, a special intensive crackdown on deepfake sex crimes has been conducted, with the number of reports reaching an average of 12.66 cases per day.

According to the National Police Agency on the 26th, from the 28th of last month to the 25th of this month, the number of reported deepfake sex crimes was 367 cases, averaging 12.66 cases per day. This is about seven times higher than before the intensive crackdown (1.85 cases per day).

The number of suspects arrested this year is 387. By age group, there were 324 teenagers (including 66 juvenile offenders under the Juvenile Act), 50 in their 20s, 9 in their 30s, 2 in their 40s, and 2 aged 50 or older.

Earlier, the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency arrested two individuals, including a teenage male suspect A, who operated a Telegram channel to sell deepfake sexual exploitation materials from November last year to July this year. Additionally, 24 buyers who purchased and viewed the paid videos were booked without detention.

The police began the special intensive crackdown on deepfake sex crimes from the 28th of last month. For seven months until March 31 of next year, the cyber sexual violence investigation teams of city and provincial police agencies will actively conduct crackdowns, thoroughly tracking and arresting suspects from the production to the distribution of deepfake materials.

A police official stated, “Even if the crime is committed using the Telegram messenger, investigative agencies are conducting investigations using tracking techniques,” and added, “According to related laws such as the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, those who purchase or possess child and youth sexual exploitation materials face punishments of imprisonment for one year or more.”

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