More juveniles falling victim to online predators, experts say

Cases of online sexual molestation of minors, in which they are coaxed into stripping naked and striking indecent poses during video chats, have been rising, according to experts, who say action is needed to protect the younger generation.

Statistics from the Girls' Protection Program at the China Foundation of Culture and Arts for Children show that 39 of the 317 cases of molestation targeting juveniles reported by the media last year were committed by people the victims knew online.

Sixteen of the cases happened on online chat platforms. They involved tricking minors into sending nude photos and videos of themselves, getting them to strip naked while chatting, and adopting indecent poses.

Tong Lihua, director of a juvenile law research center in Beijing, said: "Such cases used to involve actual physical contact, but now they're moving online. The offender doesn't even need to meet the young victim, but the harm caused really exists out there.

"What's worse, you never know how fast these photos and videos can spread and the extent to which they can reach."

Experts said this means that prevention against sexual assault is now more challenging for parents, as internet use by children through smartphones and tablets has become widespread.

In May last year, a man in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, who molested 31 children over an 18-month period through video chats by saying he was looking for underage film stars, was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

The court said he tricked the children into getting naked during video chats and, when they refused, forced some of them to continue by threatening to spread previous nude footage of them online. He stored the video clips on his laptop and portable hard disks.

Su Wenying, a child protection officer at the China office of UNICEF, said: "It is getting harder for parents to discover such cases, as children usually won't take the initiative to tell them, because of fear and shame. They may also be uncertain about how their parents can help if they do tell them. The situation calls for higher requirements for parental supervision and care, management of the online platforms and judicial case handling," she said.