A police report released Tuesday says that some 80 percent of respondents to a recent survey on Internet dating sites favor a ban on the pursuit of sexual relationships via the Web with anyone who is 18 years old or younger.
The National Police Agency report features the results of a survey conducted in December on 3,324 boys and girls, all of whom were aged 16 or 17.
NPA officials said the outcome of the poll was "contrary to expectations." The officials said they expected more respondents to object to legal restrictions on soliciting sexual relationships via Web sites of this kind.
According to the report, 71.7 percent of respondents said they supported action to outlaw acts of this nature, while just 9.6 percent voiced opposition.
In addition, 66.3 percent of those who said they favored such action said penalties are necessary.
The NPA said the survey's outcome illustrates mounting concerns among young people over the dangers of Internet dating sites, which have been tied to a slew of sex-related crimes, including child prostitution.
The NPA is considering legal options to counter the rising number of crimes tied to these sites. It is also studying how these dating services, which are often anonymous in nature, lead to the victimization of people aged 18 and under, as defined by the Child Welfare Law.