POLICE have detected the involvement of children as young as 13 in the production and online sale of sexually exploitative animated content, highlighting a worrying new trend in child sexual exploitation.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M. Kumar said the finding followed the detention of eight children aged between 13 and 18 during an integrated operation conducted with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) from Sept 14 to 16.
He said investigations found that some of those detained not only downloaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM), but also produced animated content themselves before distributing or selling it online.
“Some suspects have become more creative by producing their own anime animations before selling the content in the market using payment methods such as e-wallets and PayPal.
“This trend is very worrying because it shows active involvement in producing content... not merely consuming it,” he said at a press conference on Ops Pedo Integrated 3.0 at Bukit Aman today.
Kumar said one of the youngest detainees was a 13-year-old girl.
“Investigations found that some of the children involved acquired knowledge about these activities through online platforms,” he said.
He said the children typically interacted in online communities sharing similar interests and tendencies before exchanging material or information among themselves.
“We see the influence of social media, uncontrolled internet access and new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), potentially contributing to the development of this trend.
“That is why continuous monitoring by parents is very important because children today are more exposed to and more proficient in using digital technology,” he said.
Kumar said enforcement alone was insufficient to curb the crime, which required sustained efforts involving families, schools, non-governmental organisations and government agencies to improve awareness of morality and online safety.
He stressed that online child sexual exploitation had become a critical threat requiring a comprehensive response from all parties to protect children from becoming either victims or perpetrators. - September 22, 2026
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