- Telangana Cyber Security Bureau arrested 15 men in a crackdown on child sexual predators
- Accused were educated men aged 19 to 50, including an IIT graduate and engineer
- Operation conducted simultaneously across multiple Telangana cities targeting closed user groups
In a major crackdown on online child sexual predators, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has arrested 15 people, mostly educated men in their 20s.
Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau director Shikha Goel told NDTV that in the last four months of the formation of the Child Protection Unit, 294 First Information Reports (FIR) were filed and 110 people were arrested. Whereas in the two years preceding that, only 37 FIRs and 34 arrests were made against those who committed offences of uploading, browsing, sharing child sexual exploitation and abuse material.
In a day-long special operation across the state, 15 people identified as habitual offenders linked to 57 cyber tipline complaints were arrested.
They were educated men from middle-income families, aged 19 to 50. One of them was an IIT graduate working with a reputed software firm, and another was an engineering graduate looking for a job.
The accused were uploading, storing and circulating nude and sexually explicit videos of girls, aged between 6 and 14 years.
Preliminary assessment suggests the victims may all be from outside the country. The origin of the videos is being investigated, and how it reached the accused.
Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau director, Shikha Goel, told NDTV, "All of them appeared to be part of closed user groups sharing such material. Whether they are part of any organised gang or cartel is still under investigation."
The special operation was conducted simultaneously from Hyderabad, Yadagirigutta, Karimnagar, Warangal, Jagtiuyal and Jagadgirigutta.
"Our Child Protection Units are patrolling social media and the dark web to keep a watch on suspected offenders," Ms Goel said.
In an earlier operation, the Child Protection Unit rescued a girl.
"Usually it is not easy to trace the victim or even the offenders from the cyber tipline complaints but we have used technology to track them down," the officer said, warning that while the responsibility of social media platforms and intermediaries needs to be fixed, self-regulation through awareness that even browsing such material is a serious offence, is important to curb the crime.
"We are keeping a strict watch on who is buying, watching, browsing, uploading, sharing or creating such illegal content," she said.
