The Japan Times Online reports that the number of Internet crimes investigated by police increased by 31.5 percent in the first half of 2010 as revealed by a survey released by a National Police Agency.

Reaching a new high since records began in 2004 Internet crimes, or crimes involving a computer, reached a figure of 2,444 cases investigated by police, 586 more than in the corresponding period last year.

Other computer related crimes also  increased dramatically although police attribute this to increased investigating efforts by the police. Notably child online sexual abuse cases had jumped 69.6 percent, to 329, while child prostitution cases increased 21.8 percent, to 212.

According to the survey use of the Internet for child abuse cases accounted for more than half of all cases involving the production and distribution of illegal online child abuse content.

False information in a successful bid during an online auction went up 22.8 percent to 867 cases whereas providing a false identity for online auctions , or unauthorized computer access went down from 1,965 cases to 85.