SHAH ALAM – It wasn’t a syndicate tucked away in the shadows, nor a ring of seasoned criminals running operations out of a backroom.
Instead, authorities say a 12-year-old girl was at the centre of a child sexual exploitation network and her tools were a website, a mobile phone and social media.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the case came to light during a police operation earlier this year.
The revelation, made in Parliament yesterday, triggered widespread concern over the rising threat of online sexual exploitation involving minors, not just as victims, but also as participants under alarming circumstances.
Here’s what we know so far, how authorities responded and what it reveals about the wider challenges in regulating sexual misconduct online.
Exploitation via social media
Police investigations found that the 12-year-old girl had created a website and along with four other friends, formed an online network where they exploited themselves by sharing sexually explicit content on social media platforms for monetary gain and viewership.
Police have since dismantled the group, identified as Geng Budak Sekolah (School Kids Gang), which was allegedly engaged in the production and sale of child sexual content.
The group reportedly created a WhatsApp group that grew to 762 members, where such content was shared.
“Each of them took photos of different parts of their bodies and sold them online. The girl dropped out of school because her income far exceeded that of her parents,” Saifuddin said during Minister’s Question Time (MQT) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Saifuddin also expressed concern that some children involved in similar cases had dropped out of school due to the financial gains they were receiving from such exploitative activities.
While it remains unclear if adults were part of the WhatsApp group, he emphasised that enforcement efforts alone were insufficient to tackle crimes involving children effectively.
He stressed the importance of cooperation between agencies when handling cases involving minors as young as 12 years old.
Legal challenges in prosecuting child offenders
Saifuddin further stated that enforcement in this case was conducted under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, with collaboration and input from several agencies.
This statement was made in response to a question from Jerai MP Sabri Azit (PN). The investigations, Saifuddin said, were led by the D11 Division, which specialises in Sexual, Women and Child Investigations.
He acknowledged the legal complexities involved in prosecuting child offenders, noting that children cannot be tried in open court.
Saifuddin emphasised that law enforcement must consult with multiple agencies when handling such cases to ensure the proper protection and treatment of the children involved.