SINGAPORE — A total of 23 men, aged between 22 and 61, have been arrested in an islandwide operation targeting online child sexual exploitation activities.

The men are suspected of possessing, distributing and gaining access to child abuse materials, transmitting obscene materials and possessing obscene films, the police said in a statement on Monday (March 27).

The five-week operation by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department also led to an ongoing investigation into a 44-year-old man. Electronic devices, including computers, handphones and hard disks, were seized as part of the operation. 

The police added that some of the men have been referred to the Home Team Community Assistance and Referral Scheme (HT Cares) where social workers will interview the men to assess whether more intervention is needed.

HT Cares was first announced in 2018 to help tackle the root causes of crime and reduce reoffending.

It was fully rolled out in 2021, with social workers stationed at police land divisions to help identify issues that may have led offenders to commit their crimes and refer them to suitable agencies for help if needed.

In their statement, the police said that persons found guilty of having in possession or has gained access to child abuse material, and knows or has reason to believe the material is child abuse material, can be jailed for up to five years and fined or caned.

Those found guilty of distributing, selling or offering for sale child abuse material, or having these materials for the purpose of doing so, can be jailed for up to seven years and fined or caned.

Persons who circulate or possess obscene materials can be punished with a jail term of up to three months or fined, or both.

"The police will continue to take tough enforcement action against online child sexual exploitation activities, including the possession and distribution of child abuse materials," they added.

"Those found engaging in such activities will be dealt sternly in accordance with the law."