Steely resolve to nab culprits of child sexual abuse: Manoj Abraham, ADG

In the past eight months, the police were able to register 38 cases and arrest 650 men through the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) and IT Acts.
Manoj Abraham, IPS,  ADGP- Headquarters
Manoj Abraham, IPS, ADGP- Headquarters

KOCHI: Manoj Abraham, IPS, Additional Director General of Police-headquarters, was feeling upbeat. He has just returned from Lyon in France, where he took part in the 37th Interpol specialist group on crime against children. More than 250 experts from 70 countries participated in the meet. In his speech, Manoj explained that the Kerala Police Cyberdome’s Operation P-Hunt campaign to ferret out paedophiles, administrators of porn groups and makers of porn films.

In the past eight months, the police were able to register 38 cases and arrest 650 men through the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) and IT Acts. Manoj got a sustained applause after his presentation. “These figures were unimaginable for them,” he says. And International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children gave a prize to recognise the superlative efforts of the Kerala Police.  

“It was heart wrenching to listen to the speeches,” says Manoj, who is a father of three young boys. “There were cases where paedophiles were waiting for a child to be born. They want to have sex with infants and children till the age of 15. It is a sickness. There were cases where fathers had raped their daughters; grandfathers had raped granddaughters. One man raped his daughter as well as his granddaughter.” 

What impressed Manoj was the resolve shown by the West. “They all said that ‘we will fight till a child can live as a child’,” says Manoj. “It is their determination that impressed me. The governments, as well as private companies, are spending millions of dollars to develop software to identify these criminals. And when they saw our efforts they said they would give the software to us free.” 

Because of their stringent attitude as well as tough laws, many paedophiles from the West travel to Asian and other developing countries to abuse children. “They also go to tourist places where they can easily hide from law enforcing agencies,” says Manoj. “Unfortunately, Kerala is an attractive destination for them. Which is why we are on high alert all the time.” 

Meanwhile, there is an insatiable demand for online child sex videos. Manoj says most of the films are shot using mobile phones. “Culprits are usually somebody close to the child -- parents, siblings or relatives,” says Manoj. “Around 70 per cent videos are shot within the household. And the rest are from the immediate vicinity. Very rarely are children kidnapped for filming. It would be as low as 5 per cent,” he adds.

When world took notice of Kerala’s efforts
International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children gave a prize to recognise the superlative efforts of the Kerala Police
Manoj told the international seminar that Operation P-Hunt has so far registered 38 cases and arrested 650 men through the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) and IT Acts
Governments in the West, as well as private companies, are spending millions of dollars to develop a software to identify cyber  criminals, said Manoj

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