Hong Kong police arrest 21 men, including private tutor, for sharing indecent images of children

Hong Kong police have arrested 21 men, including a private tutor, for allegedly producing indecent images of children and sharing them on social media platforms.

Hong Kong Police Force. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Police said on Thursday that the men, aged 19 to 47, were members of a social media group that they used to share indecent images of children, produced by up-skirting and other clandestine methods, for others to browse and download.

Over 7,200 photos and 120 videos were found on electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and external hard drives seized during the police operation – codenamed Bravestrike – conducted this week, authorities said.

Some of the images are believed to have been secretly filmed in public places across the city, said Superintendent Wong Yick-lung of the force’s Kowloon East regional crime headquarters. These included shopping malls, escalators, MTR stations, and other means of public transportation.

“Even more jarringly, a private tutor photographed a female student’s intimate parts during their lessons and later shared the images with other members of the online platform,” Wong told a press conference in Cantonese.

Viewers are ‘accomplices’

Among the 21 men, eight were arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, while the remaining 13 are suspected of unlawfully recording intimate parts and publishing intimate images without consent.

The arrestees have been granted bail pending investigation and have to report to the police later this month.

Police also said that those who view and subscribe to social media groups that share indecent images of children are effectively “accomplices,” warning that they can be prosecuted if they are found to have encouraged or instructed others to film or upload the material.

Police are continuing to investigate the number of victims and their ages, and will trace the indecent material to its source through Interpol’s International Child Sexual Exploitation database.

People cross the street in Hong Kong. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Authorities are also seeking the removal of the social media group and the online images, police added.

Parents urged to be vigilant

Superintendent Wong urged parents to pay extra attention to their children for signs of sexual abuse if they have hired private tutors, who often get to spend time alone with their students.

He further advised parents to ask prospective tutors to apply for a Sexual Conviction Record Check from the police to ensure their integrity.

Social media groups that share voyeuristic images of women – often filmed secretly and published without their consent – have become rampant throughout East Asia, including in Hong Kong.

Last year, police arrested 10 linked to an online platform selling upskirt images of women, which attracted almost 9,000 subscribers and generated about HK$4 million of revenue – underscoring how lucrative the criminal act could be.

Rights groups have said that producing, sharing, and viewing such images constitute sexual abuse of women and can cause long-term harm.

Under Hong Kong law, the possession child pornography and the unlawful recording of intimate parts are offences punishable by up to five years in prison, while “producing or publishing child pornography” carries a maximum penalty of eight years behind bars.