Taiwan’s child exploitation forum linked to 400 arrests

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Authorities sentenced entertainer Mickey Huang (黃子佼) Tuesday (Nov. 25) to a suspended 1-year, 6-month prison term with 4 years of probation for violating the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法). Huang possessed 2,259 child sexual exploitation materials from the online forum "Creative Private Room" (創意私房), which initially resulted in an 8-month sentence. The charges were filed under the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act (兒童及少年性剝削防制條例), a law protecting minors from sexual exploitation.

The forum "Creative Private Room" was managed by a man known as "Old Horse" (老馬) since 2012 and had over 5,000 members distributing illicit videos and personal data of victims across Taiwan. Members could sell videos and share profits with the forum operators through the online platform. The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office, a regional prosecution office in southern Taiwan, indicted a man named Wang in 2020 for distributing videos, leading to a larger investigation by Taipei prosecutors.

Investigations revealed that Lin Ching-an (林清安), a former elementary school teacher, collaborated with "Old Horse" by exchanging videos and creating watermarks to prevent unauthorized distribution of the illicit materials. The Taiwan High Court, Taiwan's appellate court, sentenced Lin to 6 years and 3 months in prison for his role in the operation. Chen Tsung-chun (陳宗駿) faces a 12-year sentence for filming and distributing illicit videos of minors before entering prison.

The Taichung District Prosecutors Office, a regional prosecution office in central Taiwan, pursued "Creative Private Room" affiliates last year, uncovering connections to the "Taiwan Nth Room" website and the Telegram "SCP" group operating across multiple platforms. The investigation led to over 400 arrests across Taiwan in a major crackdown on online sexual exploitation networks. By October 2024, 13 individuals faced prosecution, and 247 received deferred prosecution, a form of conditional non-prosecution agreement.

Among the forum's members were police officers and teachers, including a former Taipei police officer surnamed Kuo (郭), who was sentenced to 13 years and 2 months in prison for filming women without consent. Criminal Investigation Bureau Director-General Chou Yu-wei (周幼偉), Taiwan's top investigative official, emphasized the need for international cooperation in combating cross-border online sexual crimes and protecting children. He called for Taiwan's participation in the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, to bolster global efforts against such crimes.

Attorney Charlies Liu (劉韋廷) praised the appellate court for using different legal provisions for Huang's case, increasing the number of recognized victims from 37 to over 2,000. The change shifted the charges from possession of minor sexual images to a broader violation of the personal data law. The legal shift provides victims with the opportunity to defend their rights and pursue civil claims against Huang. ◼