The 868 arrests stemmed from 524 separate criminal cases. On top of the arrests, almost 1,911 people were otherwise penalized for involvement with online adult material in an additional 1,609 cases, the state news agency reported.
The antiporn crackdown, which began in mid-2006, resulted in the seizure of approximately $137,000 in cash in its first three months, according to the Shanghai Daily.
In its most recent operation, the Chinese government arrested 33 people in connection with a live feed site that allowed customers to view live sex shows shot at 12 different locations in the southern city of Zhuhai.
According to Xinhua, 23 of those arrested were performers who were subsequently ordered to be detained for 15 days. The other 10 people arrested were “managers,” according to the state news agency. Xinhua did not specify what punishment the managers received.
In addition to the arrest, cash, computers and video equipment were also seized in the raid.
At a recent meeting organized by the Ministry of Public Security, the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China and other state agencies, attendees were told that the crackdown on adult websites will continue at least through the end of the Beijing Olympic Games. The games will run this summer from August 8-24.
