On December 18, 2024, the Security Bureau reported a significant rise in "naked-chat blackmail" cases, particularly among individuals under 21. The number of such incidents escalated from 297 in 2022 to 444 in the past year.
According to the police, these scams typically involve extortionists—often women—who lure male victims into undressing during video calls. The scammers secretly record these acts and subsequently use the footage to extort money, threatening to share the videos publicly or with the victims' families and friends.
In addition to the rise in "sextortion" cases, the bureau noted an increase in sexual offenses against children, which rose from 578 cases in 2022 to 696 in 2023. Rape cases also saw an uptick, climbing from 53 to 67 during the same period.
The bureau highlighted that the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong had published two reports in 2019 and 2022 regarding substantive sexual offenses and sentencing matters. These reports included over 70 recommendations, and the government is currently reviewing them to propose legislative changes based on developments in other jurisdictions. A public consultation on these proposed amendments is planned for 2025, with submissions to the Legislative Council expected thereafter.
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