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Police today (September 21) arrested 13 male and six female in an operation codenamed "Graphite", which aimed at combating against luring teenagers to commit sex offences via Internet.
Crime Headquarters of New Territories North Region at earlier times found that suspects set up traps on the Internet to sexually-abuse teenagers and lure them to commit sex offences. The Operation, which initiated this March, turned overt early this morning after the six-month in-depth investigations. Police arrested 19 persons, aged from 16 to 38, in various locations in Kowloon and the New Territories.
The persons were arrested for "controlling over person on prostitution", "causing prostitution", "soliciting for immoral purposes", "living on earning from prostitution", and "criminal intimidation". They are still being detained for further enquiries. Police also seized 23 sets of computer and 26 mobile phones in the operation.
Police urged teenagers to be vigilant when making friends or surfing on the Internet and not to disclose any personal particulars to strangers or meet any persons with unknown identity. Parents are also reminded to pay attention to their children's surfing activities.
Education and promotion is always one of the major strategies to combat against such offences. Regional Crime Prevention Office of New Territories North Region not only organised seminars for schools and youth associations but also disseminated messages of prevention traps of cyber world to the schools in the region.
Police Report No. 9
Issued by PPRB
Ends/Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Issued at HKT 22:28
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