Minors are the Most Vulnerable to Digital Sexual Violence — Where are the Protective Measures for Child and Adolescent Sexual Safety?
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This article is part of the 59th issue of LEAP — Voices of Youth e-letter. Subscribe now.
A gender-friendly environment doesn’t form naturally; it needs to be actively created and maintained. Twenty-four years ago, the bullying incident involving Yeh Yung-Chih shocked Taiwan, leading to the enactment of the Gender Equity Education Act within four years. This law aimed to eliminate gender discrimination and harassment in schools, establishing a safe and equal educational environment for children and adolescents.
Over the 20 years since the Act’s implementation, Taiwan also passed the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act and established the Human Rights, Child and Youth Protection, and Gender-Friendly Committee under the Judicial Yuan. These measures have progressively enhanced the legal protection of gender equality and sexual safety for children and adolescents in Taiwan.
However, a recent incident in April involving a popular children’s show host possessing and allegedly helping produce illicit videos of minors has sparked widespread concern. The immense public pressure, coupled with worries from parents and various societal sectors, has prompted Taiwan to re-examine its child protection network. What went wrong, and what gaps still need to be addressed?
Public Figures Involved in Child Sexual Image Scandal Raises Parental Concerns
In April, Taiwanese children’s TV host Mickey Huang was found to be a premium member of an online pornography platform, 創意私房 (Creative Private Room). He possessed numerous intimate videos of women, including seven involving child pornography.
The Modern Women’s Foundation stated that the videos on “Creative Private Room” are mostly obtained or filmed by members, often involving hidden cameras in bathrooms or changing rooms. The victims’ social media accounts are frequently shared alongside the videos, putting their personal safety at severe risk and sparking immense fear.
Following the incident, another organization issued a statement highlighting that the number of victims in these videos reaches into the thousands. They expressed concern that extensive media coverage might lead to further attention and illegal recordings, resulting in the re-distribution and sales of the original videos.
As a children’s TV show host, Huang’s involvement in producing and possessing child pornography should have warranted severe punishment. However, the prosecutor only required Huang to submit a letter of repentance and pay a fine of about USD 40,000. When asked by the media whether future collaborations with Huang were possible, the director of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Protection Division gave an ambiguous response, failing to condemn Huang’s criminal behavior.
The response from judicial and administrative bodies has raised doubts about whether “zero tolerance for sexual crimes” in Taiwan is merely a slogan. The credibility of the judiciary in protecting minors and women is now in question. Given the public nature of the case and the lack of satisfactory developments, media coverage and public outcry have intensified.
Another public figure, actress Sonia Sui, spoke up as a parent, urging the public to monitor the judicial and administrative proceedings closely. Unlike last year’s Taiwan #MeToo movement, triggered by cases of sexual harassment and abuse of power, this incident has led many parents to voice their concerns about their children’s safety in public forums and social media. Many netizens have likened Huang to Taiwan’s “Jimmy Savile,” fearing that his significant social influence and philanthropic image could overshadow his criminal acts.
The Taiwanese Government Needs to Proactively Address the Gaps in Handling Digital Sexual Violence and Create a Safer Online Environment
Possessing sexual images of minors is undeniably a growing type of “digital sexual violence” crime.
In Taiwan, the Executive Yuan defines digital sexual violence as “acts of gender-based violence carried out through the internet or other digital means.” According to statistics from the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation, over the past three years, minors have been the most affected by digital sexual violence, accounting for 51% of cases. The most common method of obtaining these sexual images is through hidden cameras, making up nearly 30% of the cases.
In response to the increasing prevalence of digital sexual violence, the Legislative Yuan recently passed amendments to the “Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act,” changing the penalty for possession of sexual images without a valid reason from an administrative to a criminal offense, and increased the penalties.
The new amendments include harsher penalties for seducing, using media, or assisting in sexual exploitation involving minors for viewing. The maximum sentence has been increased to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to 3 million TWD. For distributing child sexual images, the sentence has been raised from a maximum of 3 years to up to 7 years, with fines of up to 5 million TWD.
Implementing Relevant Policies to Help Child Victims Rebuild Resilience
The scrutiny of child sexual safety measures due to this incident serves as a wake-up call for society and the judiciary.
In addition to the amendments increasing penalties for offenders, the government and educational institutions are enhancing students’ awareness and prevention of digital sexual violence. For example, New Taipei City has integrated various government resources to promote digital gender violence prevention plans and gender equality education day activities, aiming to improve the self-protection capabilities of minors.
Furthermore, the “Sexual Image Processing Center,” newly established in 2023, is responsible for handling public requests to remove sexual images and assisting in referring victims for protection and support. The center’s services include legal consultation, evidence preservation guidance, reporting procedures, content removal mechanisms, and follow-up counseling referrals, accelerating the removal of disseminated images and blocking their circulation online.
Moving forward, efforts to assist victims in removing leaked images and rebuilding their lives must continue. There must also be measures to manage hidden camera equipment and legislative responses to evolving forms of digital sexual violence to truly protect children and adolescents, ensuring a gender-equal environment where they can grow up healthily.
Also in This Issue: From Direct Discrimination to Hostile Environments: After 20 Years, What’s Next for Gender Equality Education in Taiwan
After 20 years, has the implementation of GEEA created more gender-equal campuses?
Author : Vivian May, Evelyn Yang
Freelance journalist exploring gender and public issues.
