FIGHTING BACK AGAINST ONLINE SEX PICS

According to Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC), the number of reports about online sexual exploitation increased from 117,213 in 2019 to 168,330 in 2020, a 43% increase. Many underage victims were tricked into sending their indecent images or videos of themselves which were later shared online publicly. These minors are afraid of telling their parents about their leaked photos and videos.

In order to provide preteens and teenagers with guidelines of what they should do when they become victims of sexual exploitation, The Hug Project Thailand recently launched an interactive app at hugproject.org/hugfiction.

The interactive fiction role-play situations are based on real cases. Each player will experience what happens if they send indecent images or videos to an “online partner”. A player will also learn that staff at The Hug Project Thailand and police officers can help them with any legal process.

Some victims wonder if their leaked images or videos will be deleted from the internet after the legal process. Unfortunately, even though explicit content can be reported and banned from social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and

YouTube, indecent content still circulates.

“Photos and videos may not be completely removed from the internet but reporting a case to The Hug Project or TICAC can stop that offender and help other victims. I hope people share and download Hug Fiction,” said the founder of The Hug Project, Boom Mosby.

To report online child sexual exploitation, visit facebook.com/TICAC2016 or twitter. com/ticacthailand.

To download the app, visit hugproject. org/hugfiction or scan QR code.