370 cases, 28 arrests as Kerala police crack whip on groups sharing child abuse material

Cyberdome nodal officer ADGP Manoj Abraham said raids were held in 477 centres in the state simultaneously
Image for representational purpose only. ( Express Illustration)
Image for representational purpose only. ( Express Illustration)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police have registered 370 cases and arrested 28 people in connnection with a statewide crackdown on individuals and groups sharing child abuse content via social media and dark websites.

The raids were conducted on Sunday across the state under the monitoring of the District Police Chiefs.

Cyberdome nodal officer ADGP Manoj Abraham said raids were held in 477 centres in the state simultaneously. As many as 429 gadgets including mobile phones, hard disks, memory cards, laptops and computers were seized during the raids.

"The gadgets had abusive images and videos of children. In several devices, explicit images of sexual abuse of children from the age five to 16 were found," he said.

Many of the arrested were educated youths including those working in the IT sector. Manoj said due to their technical background, they were sharing child abuse material on encrypted apps and websites. They also erased the content and formated their devices every three days to avoid detection.

The initial assessment of the police is that some of the suspects were involved in child trafficking. The police have also identified certain groups which broadcast sexual activities of children live on payment basis.

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The New Indian Express
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