Case involves allegations of sexual abuse of minors, and filming and distribution of abuse videos on dark web in Australia.
Tria Dianti/Jakarta
Indonesian prosecutors are preparing to try an ex-police official whose alleged sexual crimes were discovered after Australian authorities found dark-web videos they believed were recorded in the Southeast Asian country.
Fajar Widyadharma, the former police chief of a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province, has been accused of sexually abusing minors and distributing videos of the abuse on the dark web in Australia, a provincial police spokeswoman said Monday.
If found guilty of the rape of a minor, the former police chief of Ngada regency in East Nusa Tenggara faces a life sentence, spokeswoman Nuriyani Trisani Balu said.
The case has angered Indonesians deeply because of the nature of the crime – someone in a position of power abusing it to assault minors and going a step farther by filming the abuse and sharing it online.
“The case files have been submitted to the [regional] prosecutor’s office, and we are currently awaiting further notice,” Nuriyani said.
“The case has progressed from investigation to prosecution, and the suspect has been formally charged.”
No date had been set for the trial, she added.
Fajar, who was arrested on Feb. 20, has been charged under the sexual violence law and several provisions of the criminal code.
He also faces charges under the electronic information and transactions law for allegedly sharing filmed footage of the crime online, police said.
Indonesia reported 15,914 cases of violence against children in 2024, with more than 9,000 involving sexual violence, the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children said in a statement posted on Facebook in January. It cited Indonesia’s Online Information System for the Protection of Women and Children.
“These alarming numbers highlight the critical need to intensify efforts to protect children from all forms of abuse and violence,” the statement said.
Suspect ‘committed multiple crimes’
Australian law enforcement discovered the videos of the abuse while conducting a sweep of child exploitation forums on the dark web, said Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, a spokesperson for the Indonesian National Police.
The police in Australia then forwarded the material to the Indonesian police, which launched an investigation in January, Trunoyudo added.
Thereafter, a team of investigators visited a hotel where some of the abuse allegedly took place, based on information from Australian police.
They collected evidence from the suspect, including eight videos stored on compact discs, Trunoyudo said.
“The suspect violated the police code of ethics and committed multiple crimes, including sexual violence against minors, adultery, drug use, and distributing child sexual abuse material,” he said.
Indonesia passed its first comprehensive law on sexual violence as recently as in 2022, after years of advocacy by human rights groups. The new law strengthens protections for victims, while earlier acts of sexual violence fell under the criminal code.
On Monday, the National Child Protection Commission said the protection of the victims and their families must be one of the priorities of Prabowo Subianto’s government.
“The state must [also] ensure that the perpetrator receives a punishment befitting the crime, with no room for impunity,” the commission said in a statement.
Meanwhile an advocacy group, Jakarta Feminist, condemned what it called the “layered sexual violence” in the case.
That is, the group said the victims suffered multiple, overlapping forms of sexual violence including rape and exploitation, while Fajar, as a police officer, held a position of power over them.
“This case underscores how vulnerable children are, especially when facing perpetrators who hold authority,” the group said in a statement.
The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI), which advocates for children’s welfare, also denounced the alleged crimes.
They were “not only illegal but a violation of moral and human rights principles,” the group said, and urged the government to ensure that the case was prosecuted transparently.
Choirul Anam, a member of the National Police Commission, urged stricter oversight of officers to prevent future abuses.
“This crime is deeply disturbing. … The police force must take responsibility by strengthening its recruitment and oversight processes,” Anam said.
“There is significant evidence of human trafficking and pornography, meaning the penalties will be severe. At the very least, he should receive a life sentence.”
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