A specialized unit of the Kerala Police apprehended 8 individuals, including IT professionals, involved in the viewing and dissemination of child pornography. These arrests were made as part of an undercover operation named ‘P-Hunt’ conducted by the CCSE (Countering Child Sexual Exploitation) team within the Kerala Police.
Investigations have revealed that some of the accused may also be engaged in child trafficking, as incriminating conversations were discovered on their devices. The authorities executed raids at 449 locations across the state, collaborating with cyber cells, technical experts, and a women’s team. These efforts resulted in the seizure of 212 devices and the registration of 133 cases under Section 67B of the IT Act, which deals with the transmission and publication of sexually explicit material involving children in electronic form.
During the operation, various items such as mobile phones, modems, hard disks, memory cards, laptops, and computers were confiscated. These devices contained disturbing videos and images depicting children, many of whom appeared to be local, aged between 5 and 16 years old, as stated by IG (Cyberdome) P Prakash IPS in a press release.
An alarming trend has been observed in the proliferation of pornographic groups on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, with a significant increase in their numbers during this period. In response to police actions like the P-Hunt operation, offenders have resorted to viewing and swiftly deleting videos using specialized software to avoid detection. Additionally, they have started formatting their phones every three days, and certain cases have reported the use of malware to activate victims’ webcams and steal children’s information, according to the police statement.
Earlier this year, the special unit conducted a statewide raid that led to 12 arrests. Established in January 2020, this unit aims to prevent online child exploitation and child pornography. IG Prakash emphasized that under current laws, the mere act of viewing, distributing, or storing any child pornography is a criminal offense punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.
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