Hyderabad: Three held for sharing child pornography via social media; Cybercrime Police issue advisory

Hyderabad: Hyderabad City Cybercrime Unit has apprehended three youth including a student, after they allegedly downloaded, viewed, and shared child pornography with their friends via social media platforms.

Aged between 22 and 36, the trio include a student, a welder, and a private employee. They were arrested in connection with Cyber Tipline cases reported on social media platforms.

These cases were registered based on inputs received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) portal, an exclusive platform for addressing crimes against children, a release from Hyderabad police said.

According to the Cybercrime officials, preliminary verification was conducted using leads such as IP addresses, mobile numbers, and email IDs, tracing the accused to locations within the jurisdiction of the Hyderabad Police Commissionerate.

The three accused were found to have downloaded child pornography from various websites, viewed it, and transmitted it to their friends via social media platforms, the release added. Three cases were registered under relevant sections of the IT Act.

The inquiry report, along with supporting documentation, has been forwarded to the NCMEC ID of the Cyber Crime Unit for further legal action.

“Evidence and leads provided through the Cyber Tipline Report are being corroborated to identify individuals involved in creating, sharing, or circulating Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM),” said a senior cybercrime official.

Public Advisory:

• Content/ accounts promoting abusive/ illegal activities against children should be reported

• Individuals can report such incidents to any law enforcement or the platform concerned.

• Do not share inappropriate material under any circumstances

• Even unintentional circulation can result in legal consequences.

• Parents are advised to monitor their children’s online activities

• Educate children on internet safety, enable privacy settings, and use parental control tools

• Leverage platforms like NCMEC for reporting cases of online child exploitation.