Hyderabad: Three individuals were arrested by the Hyderabad cyber crime unit in separate cases concerning child sexual abuse material (CSAM) based on CyberTipline cases involving social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram.
Preliminary verification was conducted using leads such as IP addresses, mobile numbers, and email IDs, tracing the accused to locations under the jurisdiction of the Hyderabad Police commissionerate.
Evidence and leads provided through CyberTipline reports were corroborated to identify individuals involved in creating, sharing, or circulating CSAM.
The three accused, a 35-year-old private employee residing in Medak, a 36-year-old welder from Hyderabad and a 22-year-old student also from Hyderabad were booked under Section 67b of the IT Act, 2000 for downloading child pornography from various websites, viewing it, and sharing it via Instagram and Snapchat.
Cyber Tipline under the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) hosts an online portal for exclusively reporting and addressing crimes against children. The inquiry reports, along with supporting documentation for these cases have been forwarded to the NCMEC ID of the Cyber Crime Unit for further legal action.
The Hyderabad City Cyber Crime Unit urges public vigilance in tackling the growing threat of CSAM encouraging the public to report suspicious accounts or content promoting abusive or illegal activities against children.
Police also advise parents to monitor their children’s online activities, educating them on internet safety, and using parental control tools when necessary. They also advise against sharing inappropriate material under any circumstances, as even unintentional circulation can result in legal consequences.
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