Crackdown finds child sexual abuse images on two thirds of devices searched at border
EVIDENCE of child sex abuse images was found on two thirds of electronic devices searched at the border in a trial scheme.
Border Force officials have been scanning phones and laptops of suspected paedos under Operation Excalibur at four UK airports.
And 65 per cent of the devices had evidence of child abuse images.
On a visit to see Heathrow’s scheme, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips told the Sun on Sunday: “It keeps me awake at night.
“That’s how worried I am about the growing availability and access that people have to child sexual abuse material, both real and synthetic - so AI deep fakes.
“We have to do as much as we can as legislators within our own country to make sure that our laws are keeping pace with that technology, and our law enforcement is able to keep pace with that technology.”
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Officials use intelligence to target travellers suspected of having child abuse images.
This includes profiling people and working with international police forces.
They search their electronic devices for photos already known to law enforcement that have been “hashed” — which means they have been given an invisible electronic “watermark”.
Victim of online abuse speaks out
Marie, now 28, was contacted when she was 17 by a man on a dating app pretending to be somebody else.
On a video call, he asked her to do certain things and he screenshot those images.
They were used to blackmail her into meeting "his friend" who was actually him.
During that meeting, the "friend" committed a sexual offence against Marie.
"The friend" went on to cultivate a year-long relationship with Marie which was emotionally and physically abusive.
She told the Sun on Sunday: “Once the relationship ended. My mental health really got so bad that I had put a deadline on my life.
“I said I wasn't going to make it past 20. Obviously, I'm still here today. So through therapy, I was able to get to a stage that I am today.
“However, it's not something that ever goes away. You wake up every single day, pick up the pieces, get through the day."
She said to anyone going through similar: "You are not alone. I really want to eradicate that thought, because that is how I felt.
“But you really aren't. There's people out there. You've got people in your life. There is no shame, there is no fear. You just have to reach out and ask any questions, even if it hasn't happened yet. No question is silly enough.”
Border Force does this by connecting a cable to the suspect’s phone or laptop and scanning it at Customs.
Currently, they cannot force people to give up their phone for inspection.
But new laws will hand officials powers to make suspects unlock their devices to be scanned.
Tim Kingsberry, Head of Safeguarding and Modern Slavery for Border Force, said: “We’re trying to make the border an unsafe place for those who seek to abuse children, whether that be our children in the United Kingdom or children overseas.
“We have found evidence of the most extreme images which have led to arrests from the police.”
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Experts say caregivers need to create safe, non-judgemental space for survivors to heal as trauma can affect mental and emotional wellbeing
Zulfikar calls for early sex education to help children recognise inappropriate behaviour as children as young as three should learn about safe touch and body autonomy in age-appropriate ways. – Amirul Syafiq/theSunPETALING JAYA: Child abuse and neglect remain deeply troubling issues in Malaysia, casting a long shadow over the lives of countless children.
In 2024 alone, one state recorded over 1,500 reported cases – a grim indicator of a crisis that shows no signs of slowing.
In the face of such harrowing figures, theSun spoke to two experts who have studied the matter extensively.
Both agreed that the psychological scars left by child sexual abuse run so deep that for many survivors, full recovery remains heartbreakingly out of reach.
Trauma from sexual abuse runs far deeper than physical harm and can severely disrupt a child’s mental and emotional wellbeing, said Universiti Teknologi Malaysia senior psychology officer Dr Zulfikar Ahmad.
“I’ve handled cases where the trauma is so entrenched, recovery feels almost out of reach. We’re talking about nightmares, flashbacks – long-term scars that just won’t fade,” he said.
Zulfikar stressed that rebuilding trust is essential – and sidelining victims only sets back recovery.
To aid healing, he urged caregivers to create a safe, non-judgemental space and to involve children in decisions about their own lives, rather than making assumptions for.
He criticised well-meaning decisions made without consulting the victim – like pulling a child out of school.
“Even with the best intentions, it strips away their support systems. It makes them feel even more vulnerable.”
On prevention, Zulfikar called for early sex education to help children recognise inappropriate behaviour.
In 2022, he was part of a team that developed Mekar, a child and adolescent sexual crime prevention module with the police in Johor.
The programme teaches schoolchildren to identify signs of sexual abuse and understand risks like grooming and sexually transmitted diseases.
He said children as young as three should learn about safe touch and body autonomy in age-appropriate ways, with the content growing more comprehensive as they mature.
Universiti Teknologi Mara social policy expert Prof Yarina Ahmad echoed Zulfikar’s sentiments.
She also raised alarm over incest cases involving victims as young as six.
“Abusers often target very young children. In some of the most heartbreaking cases, even mothers knew but felt helpless.”
Not all incest cases registered with the Social Welfare Department are reported to police. Yarina and other researchers found that many survivors never come forward.
The public is urged to report suspected abuse to the 24-hour Talian Kasih helpline operated by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry at 15999 or via WhatsApp at 019-261 5999.
The crisis of missing children in Western countries
May 25 has been designated as International Missing Children’s Day, aimed at supporting missing children who may face threats, sexual abuse, harassment, or human trafficking.
What is International Missing Children’s Day?
International Missing Children’s Day is a global occasion dedicated to raising awareness about missing children and efforts to find them, focusing on their dire situation worldwide.
It serves as a reminder of the ongoing issue of child abductions and disappearances, as well as a time to honor children who remain missing and support their families in their search for answers.
The choice of May 25 commemorates the disappearance of Ethan Patz, a six-year-old Italian boy in New York in 1979, whose case drew significant attention to the issue of missing children. Under international pressure, the U.S. declared Missing Children’s Day a national observance in 1983, which later became an international event (IMCD) in 2001.
Growing challenges in ensuring child safety
As digital technologies and trends obscure the landscape of child safety, statistics on harmed children are rising. Behind each number is a child, and the issue becomes even more alarming as the production of AI-generated content continues to surge. In 2024 alone, CyberTipline reports involving generative AI technology (GAI) increased by 1,325%.
Child sexual extortion is also on the rise, with a significant increase in reports of online enticement in 2024. The situation in Western countries claiming to champion children’s rights is critical: in the U.S., since 2021, at least 36 teenage boys have lost their lives due to being victims of sexual extortion, and reports of child sex trafficking have also risen.
In Australia, police receive 50,000 missing person reports annually, nearly half of which involve teenagers aged 13 to 17. Approximately 2,700 long-term missing cases exist in Australia, with around 132 new cases added to the long-term missing list in 2024.
The crisis of missing children stems from various causes, encompassing a wide range of issues. Abuse, domestic violence, family breakdown, loneliness, poor mental health, and poverty are recurring factors in missing children cases.
Anti-immigration laws, particularly in European countries, also contribute to these cases. Criminal exploitation and sexual exploitation are likely scenarios these children may face if they survive.
Western countries’ neglect of the missing children crisis
While Western countries advocate for child protection and rights, thousands of children go missing annually in these nations. According to statistics, 250,000 children are listed as missing across Europe each year.
The Secretary-General of Missing Children Europe stated, “This figure reflects the individual stories of children escaping abuse, caught in family breakdowns, or falling victim to criminal networks.”
In summary:
In Australia, approximately 20,000 children are reported missing annually.
In Canada, about 42,288 children go missing each year.
In Germany, around 100,000 children are reported missing annually.
In Spain, 20,000 children go missing each year.
In the UK, 112,800 children are reported missing annually.
In the U.S., 460,000 children go missing each year.
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Are we really going to let our children be raped?
Just today, The Daily Star published a report, based on data from Ain O Salish Kendra, with the headline "Nearly 9 out of 10 victims of rape [from Jan-April, 2025] are children".
Yes. Read that again.
Children.
In fact, the report starts with the case of a three-year-old. Three years old—just a baby.
What kind of country allows this? What kind of society watches this happen and moves on with the day? How can an actual human being read such headlines and remain silent, or even sane?
There is no justification, no excuse, no veil under which this horror can be hidden. If our laws fail to protect even toddlers from rape, if our communities fail to shelter them, then we have already failed as a nation.
Miserably and unforgivably.
According to the ASK data, of the 342 rape cases recorded during the first four months, age information was available for 201 victims. Of them, 176 were minors. Forty of those children were aged between zero and six. Sixty-five were between seven and 12. The rest, barely teenagers.
This is Bangladesh, where Islam is rising as a major force in a previously secular country.
And mind you, these are just the reported cases. In a country drowning in stigma, where silence is rewarded and speaking up brings shame, threats, or worse -- how many more children are we not even counting?
What kind of predators walk among us that a toddler is not safe going downstairs to buy candy? What kind of culture have we cultivated that emboldens these monsters -- and simultaneously teaches families to hush it up, take the money, or drop the case to "protect their honour"? Whose honour are we protecting exactly when the soul of a child has been crushed? How dare we think of "honour" over our children?
Rights groups have been screaming for years. They have warned us again and again of this growing scourge. And yet, nothing changes except the numbers, which continue to rise. The public outrage flares up briefly after a particularly gruesome case -- and then simmers into indifference.
The government's response, when it does come, is almost always reactionary.
Following the rape and murder of an eight-year-old in Magura, the Nari o Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain (Women and Children Repression Prevention Act) was amended to shorten investigation and trial periods and introduce special tribunals for child rape cases.
But speed alone does not equal justice -- especially when the system remains broken, biased, and traumatising for victims.
Let me ask, did the sudden changes to the act make a difference? No. Child rape continues.
In fact, many of these "fast-tracked" cases are handled with the same lack of empathy, sensitivity, or follow-through that has long plagued our justice system.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua has rightly pointed out that harsher laws, like the introduction of the death penalty for rape, have not curbed the violence and have instead increased the likelihood of victims being murdered, to erase witnesses and avoid identification. Justice should not be wielded like a weapon to pacify rage and instead must be systemic, sensitive, and rooted in prevention and accountability -- not vengeance.
And, not rehabilitation. Infantophiles and paedophiles are not worth saving, even if they could be.
Rights activists like Khushi Kabir have called this what it is: a societal collapse. When men no longer see girls as children, when they see them as objects, as prey -- what law can fix that rot? And how dare we claim moral or religious high ground in global forums when our streets are unsafe for babies?
The March report by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad adds even more shame -- 163 rape incidents in that single month, 125 of which involved children. In April, 83 out of 111 reported victims were also children. Dhaka, Gazipur, and Narayanganj topped the list.
This isn't a rural or urban issue; it's a national nightmare.
And what of the survivors? The ones who live? If they are lucky enough to be believed, they are still forced to relive their trauma again and again, in front of police officers who ask the wrong questions, doctors who lack training, and courts that treat them like unreliable narrators instead of victims.
Many of these children grow up carrying this wound -- unhealed, festering. Some turn inward, into depression. Some lash out. Some simply vanish into silence.
Many destroy themselves with drugs or alcohol to dampen the pain.
A press conference held by ASK, Breaking the Silence, Save the Children and others in March offered a way forward: a dedicated Child Affairs Directorate, stronger police accountability, operational child help desks in all police stations, community engagement, school-based protection training, mental health support, streamlined emergency helplines. These are basic protections. Not luxuries. Not favours.
These are rights to protect our children. Does anyone realise that?
Does the state realise it? Will it act? Or will it wait for the next headline to make some more reactionary, ineffective actions?
How many broken bodies, how many babies torn apart, how many headlines soaked in blood will it take before this nation wakes up?
We are not "developing", as they say. We are decaying. And it is our children paying the price.
It is almost always the children who pay the price for men's evils and weaknesses!
If those in power will not act, then their hands are also stained. Every official who delays justice, every officer who dismisses a complaint, every policymaker who stays silent is part of this horror. They too are to blame, just as much as these child rapists.
Whether you believe it or not, all will stand before Jesus Christ and give an accounting of what they did in their life. All, including child rapists and enablers in the police, the courts, and the government.
If we cannot protect our children, we are not a nation worth building.
If we cannot protect our children, we must now admit that we are not civilised and a disgrace as a people. How many broken bodies, how many babies torn apart, how many headlines soaked in blood will it take before this nation wakes up?
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