The sexual exploitation of children in the digital age. An overview of a major phenomenon in Southeast Asia

Since the beginning of the millennium, the world has been experiencing what some have termed the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This term is used to describe and highlight the rapid technological advances of the twenty-first century. Over the past two decades, the Internet has become an essential tool for virtually all daily activities, reshaping society as a whole. At the same time, this has also expanded the scope and possibilities for committing Internet-related crimes. There is a whole range of criminal behaviour perpetrated with the assistance of digital technologies. In this regard, the digital world is a particularly fertile area for the sexual exploitation of children. Compounded by almost complete absence of regulations and enforceable legislation on safe and equitable usage, the Internet has become a powerful vector for increasing the possibilities and facilities for producing and circulating illicit sexual content featuring children. The sexual exploitation of children is particularly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (e.g. Southeast Asia). In these countries, as with most developing nations, child prostitution functions as a veritable underground economy. However, online threats to children have broadened and diversified over the last twenty years with the increasing expansion and availability of the Internet, digital devices and communication platforms. In addition to traditional forms of child sexual exploitation, such as child prostitution and child sexual abuse material, new forms have emerged, entirely designed around the Internet, such as online grooming, sexual extortion of children, livestreaming of child sexual abuse, artificial intelligence generated child sexual abuse material. Online child sexual exploitation is a criminal activity considered to be harmless and economically beneficial. Ultimately, the combination of low financial cost, high profitability and low risk has contributed to the rapid growth of OCSE crimes. Although child victims are often from economically disadvantaged countries, the commercial sexual exploitation of children exists because there is a demand for it. And this demand comes predominantly from perpetrators in wealthy, industrialised countries. In this sense, the problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children, both online and offline, represents a global problem that spares no country. Faced with this global problem, joint efforts to strengthen legislative frameworks, criminal justice capacities, international cooperation and multi-sectoral cooperation are necessary and are considered fundamental principles in the fight against OCSE crimes. In spite of the existence of several international prohibitions against sexual exploitation, it can hardly be contended that the international community has reacted appropriately. Nation states remain reluctant to intervene. Prior to the advent of the Internet, the transnational nature of child sexual exploitation was the exception; today it is the rule. Combating the sexual exploitation of children on the Internet requires a high level of harmonisation. In order to effectively prosecute and investigate online child sexual exploitation across national borders, it is necessary and essential that states apply and develop the appropriate international legal framework to protect children. Current efforts by countries, NGOs, the technology and private sectors, and international organisations to combat online child sexual exploitation are fragmented, overlapping and/or insufficient in some areas. As such, online child sexual exploitation is a relatively new form of crime against children that requires greater global attention.