Children wearing face masks gather round a table inside their classroom in Singapore. (AFP Photo)

Athira Nortajuddin
27 October 2020

Whereas in Cambodia, as of July 2020, the Child Protection Unit (CPU) had found nine online crimes so far.

According to the United Nations (UN), demand for child sexual abuse via webcam is an increasing cause of trafficking, with Thailand and the Philippines becoming hubs for the trade. Some children are even abused by their own families or guardians, watched and directed by foreigners on tech gadgets like smartphones and laptops.

Back in 2018, it was reported that an estimated 80,000 British citizens posed a sexual threat to children online as they increasingly seek-out victims in poor and war-torn countries.

It was reported that Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC) taskforce had rescued more than 100 children from April to June – almost double the 53 victims helped in 2018. In addition, since mid-April, the police taskforce had recovered more than 150,000 files containing child sexual abuse material and opened 53 cases.

In the Philippines, cases of online child sex abuse have tripled amid the pandemic. Officials and activists told the media that the problem worsened during the country’s lockdown period as families struggled to earn a living while children have been out of school and spending more time online.

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