The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has warned that online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offences can escalate beyond possession or viewing, potentially leading to more serious crimes such as grooming, blackmail and sexual abuse of children.
Bukit Aman Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) assistant director SAC Siti Kamsiah Hassan said the trend was identified through ongoing investigations by D11 and the Malaysia Child Sexual Crime Investigation Unit (MICAC).
She said repeated exposure to CSAM may trigger behavioural addiction, where individuals become increasingly driven to seek more content and spend more time engaging with such material.
According to her, this can also lead to the formation of closed online communities where users share CSAM without necessarily knowing each other personally.
Siti Kamsiah said these groups are typically connected through shared interest in illegal content and often operate in interconnected networks, creating wider chains of distribution that are difficult to dismantle.
She added that some individuals involved in CSAM also exploit the material for profit by selling it to others, further fuelling the cycle of abuse.
Those involved in possession, storage or distribution of CSAM, she said, come from diverse backgrounds, including different ages, occupations and social status.
Meanwhile, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching previously revealed that CSAM cases recorded by PDRM rose from 68 cases in 2024 to 152 last year, with 100 cases recorded so far this year.
She said the figures likely represent only a fraction of the real situation, as advances in digital connectivity and content-generation tools have made such material easier to produce and distribute.
To address the threat, Siti Kamsiah said PDRM has stepped up enforcement operations, including efforts to identify offenders and rescue victims based on seized digital evidence.
At the same time, she said the introduction of the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA) is expected to strengthen Malaysia’s ability to tackle online sexual crimes.
The Act places clearer responsibility on digital platforms to cooperate with authorities, enabling faster identification of suspects, removal of harmful content and protection of victims.
