Kids as young as 12 selling nudes online, says Saifuddin

New Straits Times

2 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Children as young as 12 are selling explicit images of themselves on social media via self-created websites, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the police uncovered the disturbing activities during an operation earlier this year.
"This year, we dismantled a syndicate involving schoolchildren, with the cooperation of relevant ministries. One of them, just 12 years old, created a website and conspired with four friends.
"They had a WhatsApp group with 762 members. Each child took pictures of parts of their body and sold them on social media. Some even dropped out of school because the money they earned was far more than their parents' income.
"One girl earned more in a month from selling photos than her parents did, so she no longer saw the need to attend school," Saifuddin told the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a question from Sabri Azit (PN–Jerai) on prostitution in Malaysia and the measures taken by the authorities.
Saifuddin said that cases involving children as young as 12 must be addressed through a multi-agency approach.
"Therefore, when dealing with such cases, we must also seek input from various other agencies," he said.
On the issue of swingers — individuals or couples who voluntarily swap partners for sexual activity — he said that Malaysia had five applicable laws.
These, he said, included the Penal Code, the Communications and Multimedia Act, the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (if minors are involved), the Film Censorship Act (if materials are produced for distribution), and Syariah enactments.
"In August 2024, following infiltration and surveillance by the D7 anti-vice and gambling prevention unit, we detected websites promoting swinger activities. We later raided a luxury condominium in Kuala Lumpur.
"Among those arrested were public and private university students, civil servants and foreigners. The case was charged under Section 372 of the Penal Code and is still ongoing," he said.
He added that while legislation and enforcement were critical, addressing such social issues also required instilling strong values within families and the wider community.