Over 460 youths aged 19 & below nabbed for sex crimes in S'pore in 2024, MHA cites online porn as reason

Exposure to online pornography is one reason behind sex crimes committed by youths, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 7.

Over 460 young people aged 19 and under were arrested for such crimes in 2024.

Of these, sexual penetration of minors was the most common offence, MHA said according to The Straits Times.

The victims knew the culprits in most cases.

In 2023, over 470 in the same age range were nabbed for such offences.

This was 30 per cent higher than in 2022.

Learning how to express feelings

In one 2022 case, a 14-year-old boy filmed his female classmates in school without their consent.

He was arrested for criminal trespassing and voyeurism.

His counsellor told ST that the boy had watched online porn every day for the past three years, and thought such interactions between men and women were normal.

He has since undergone therapy and is now coping well.

However, such cases of boys objectifying girls after exposure to porn are not unique.

The counsellor, Gopal Mahey, explained that the boy was not trying to cause harm in a calculated way.

"Instead, he was re-enacting what he had been repeatedly exposed to online, as no one had spoken to him meaningfully about boundaries, consent or respect," he said.

He added that such deviant behaviours often stem from distorted perceptions rather than malicious intent.

Perpetrators may act out of boredom or loneliness, and may not even realise the harm they cause, he said.

"Youth today grow up immersed in a digital culture where pornography is easily accessible, often degrading and rarely reflecting mutual respect or consent," he explained.

Apart from exposure to porn, MHA noted that other contributing factors to such sex crimes include an inappropriate and inaccurate understanding of sex, dysfunctional family dynamics, and a history of abuse.

"Youth need secure, consistent relationships with adults who model respect, trust, and accountability," Gopal said.

"When that’s missing, when a child grows up in a home where touch is either absent or abusive, where no one talks about feelings and where 'yes' and 'no' are not respected, they carry those distortions into adolescence."

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