Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an accused residing in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu for his alleged involvement in creating, collecting, seeking, browsing, downloading, exchanging, and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), official sources said on Saturday. The accused was also charged with sexually abusing a child for four years and forcing two minor victims to perform penetrative sexual acts on them and other minors.
The CBI was able to trace the location of the incident to Thanjavur District after finding CSAM images and videos from Interpol's International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database, to which India joined last year. As part of the investigation, searches were conducted at the premises of the accused, which led to the recovery of incriminating electronic gadgets.
In 2022, during the 90th Interpol General Assembly hosted by India in New Delhi, an important resolution was passed to support countries in their efforts to identify and investigate online child sexual exploitation. The resolution recognized the protection of children as a priority for all Interpol member countries and highlighted the importance of real-time information sharing and coordinated global action to combat the menace of online child sexual exploitation. The resolution also emphasized the critical need for an effective coordinated international response to this criminal activity to ensure the protection of children worldwide.
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During the Assembly, India's delegation made an intervention and detailed the importance of real-time information sharing, and coordinated global action to combat online child sexual exploitation. India's contributions to Interpol's ICSE database and the operational outcomes of Operation CARBON and Operation MEGHCHAKRA launched by the CBI India for coordinated action on online child sexual exploitation were also highlighted.
Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock emphasized that each and every child should be protected from sexual exploitation and abuse and from re-victimization after images have been shared online. He further emphasized the need for coordinated international efforts to address child exploitation and related crimes, emphasizing that these are crime areas where silos cannot be created, whether by one agency or one region.
The arrest of the accused in the Thanjavur district and the passing of the resolution during the Interpol General Assembly highlight the ongoing global efforts to combat online child sexual exploitation and the need for effective international coordination and cooperation.
