Japan's police agency said Thursday that 44.1% of the 2,053 offenders in child pornography-related criminal cases last year were between the ages of 14 and 19, nearly double the share in 2013.
Of the 905 people suspected of committing child-porn crimes in that age group, 60% were high school students, according to revised data from the National Police Agency.
Those between the ages of 14 to 19 have accounted for over 40% of child-porn suspects every year since 2019. The agency believes the increase is due to the prevalence of smartphones and social media, and plans to create awareness campaigns on their appropriate usage.