The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an accused from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with a case involving the alleged sexual assault of minor children.
According to the agency, the allegations against the accused in the case also included possession and dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
The federal probe agency registered a case suo-moto on June 17against the accused on serious allegations, including the creation, collection, storage, and uploading of CSAM depicting minors in explicit sexual acts.
According to officials, the accused was also found to be in possession of pornographic content involving children, in violation of laws.
Searches were conducted on June 19 at the residential premises of the accused, resulting in the seizure of incriminating electronic devices.
Subsequent forensic analysis uncovered a substantial volume of CSAM in the form of images and videos, the agency said.
These materials were corroborated with data from the INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database, as well as Cyber Tipline Reports (CTRs) generated by a search engine and shared with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The probe and analysis of electronic devices revealed the content depicting minor children being sexually assaulted, sexually harassed, and threatened.
In a swift and coordinated effort, the CBI was able to identify, locate, and rescue the minor victims, and accordingly, the accused was arrested on Saturday, who is currently in custody.
This case was uncovered by the central probe agency, as neither the victims nor their families had reported the incidents to any law enforcement agency prior to CBI’s intervention.
Notably, this case also highlights the proactive use of cyber intelligence, hi-tech forensic tools, and international cooperation among various stakeholders in identifying and rescuing victims of such heinous crimes.
The CBI has reiterated its utmost commitment to bring perpetrators of child sexual abuse to justice, and has urged citizens to report any such information or suspicion to the appropriate authorities.
Further probe is underway in the case, with efforts underway to find linkages and other aspects.