“It’s Mentally Overwhelming”: Police Officer Shares Challenges of Investigating Child Sexual Abuse Cases, but Saving Even One Child Makes It Worthwhile

SINGAPORE: In a major five-week operation aimed at curbing child sexual exploitation, 272 suspects were arrested across borders, with 28 nabbed in Singapore alone. This work is part of the daily life of Assistant Superintendent Jane Chen, a senior investigation officer in the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Specialised Crime Branch, where she deals with cases involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child vice.

In a recent video shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Chen opened up about the emotional toll her job can take. “You see very explicit content. Hearing the cries and sounds when a child is being harmed, it affects you on a deep level,” she explained. The images and sounds can be hard to shake, and the frustration intensifies when limited information makes finding and helping the child challenging. “You take this bag of emotions and multiply it every time you see CSAM; it’s mentally overwhelming,” she admitted.

Yet Chen’s resolve remains strong. Knowing that these perpetrators harm multiple children keeps her focused. “To us, every child matters,” she shared. During an enforcement operation in the video, she and her team seized devices from a suspect’s home and demonstrated how these devices are analyzed at CID’s Cyber Guardian Lab, opened in June 2023. The lab’s software helps officers identify new abuse material, which is then added to Interpol’s International Child Sexual Exploitation database to aid in identifying and rescuing victims.

Last week’s operation targeted online abuse crimes across Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea. In Singapore, suspects aged between 18 and 59 face charges from possession and distribution of abuse materials to inappropriate communication with minors. Nine individuals are also being referred to the Home Team Community Assistance and Referral Scheme for further evaluation and intervention.

Penalties for possessing or accessing child abuse materials in Singapore can include up to five years in jail, fines, or caning. Those distributing such materials may face up to seven years’ imprisonment, fines, and caning.