Penegakan Hukum Pelecehan Seksual Anak di Dunia Digital Berdasarkan Undang-Undang Perlindungan Anak dan Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana

Abstract

The development of digital technology has given rise to new forms of crime, one of which is sexual harassment of children in the digital space carried out through electronic means without direct physical contact. This research aims to analyze the regulation of criminal acts of child sexual harassment in the digital world and the forms of its law enforcement. This normative legal research employs statutory approach, conceptual approach, and case approach, using primary legal materials including: Law No. 35 of 2014 on Child Protection, Law No. 12 of 2022 on Criminal Acts of Sexual Violence, Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code, as well as secondary legal materials in the form of literature and scientific journals. Legal material analysis was conducted descriptively and qualitatively using legal interpretation methods. The research findings indicate that the regulation of criminal acts of child sexual harassment in the digital world has been comprehensively structured through these three mutually complementary laws, recognizing that sexual crimes can occur through digital means without physical contact. Its enforcement is carried out through a criminal justice system oriented toward the protection of child victims, yet still faces obstacles in the form of limited capacity of law enforcement officers in handling electronic evidence, complexity of proof, low case reporting rates, and suboptimal inter-agency coordination. This research recommends the need to enhance the capacity of law enforcement officers in handling digital crimes and strengthen preventive efforts through legal literacy and digital literacy.