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End Online Child Sexual Abuse

Online child sexual abuse, including child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) is a crime without borders, and a profound violation of child rights and childhood.

In 2022, there were more than 5.6 million reports of online child sexual exploitation and abuse material related to India - more than anywhere else in the world. 

 In the same year, only 1,890 children were registered as victims of online child sexual exploitation and abuse in India.

But by the end of 2022, 4,763 cases of online child sexual abuse and CSEAM were pending trial in India's courts. 

Just 1,862 cases of online child sexual abuse and CSEAM were registered in India in 2022.

Online Child Sexual Abuse in India

CSEAM includes images and videos of children being sexually abused, exploited or depicted in a sexual manner. These materials leave victims in a perpetual cycle of exploitation, their dignity stripped away and their suffering preserved in the digital world. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of online CSEAM in India, and these have seen an exponential increase since the pandemic. Until now, there has been no standardized mechanism for the detection and prosecution of online CSEAM cases, and the identification and rehabilitation of victims remain significant challenges. Compounded by its cross-border nature, addressing this issue requires international collaboration and cohesive strategies.

Our Strategy

Current approaches largely focus on punishing those in possession of CSEAM, while the child victims behind these images often remain unidentified and without support. A globally coordinated, preventive, and protective framework is urgently needed—one that not only targets offenders but also addresses the ecosystem and evolving nature of child exploitation.

Advocate and work with authorities to update legal frameworks related to online exploitation and violence against children, which should include online enticement or 'grooming' of children. 

Advocate for explicit definition of the crime of CSEAM as an economic and organized crime, as well as a child sexual abuse crime. This should include the use of AI-generated CSEAM. 

Hold social media platforms accountable for real-time reporting of online exploitation and violence against children, including grooming and CSEAM.
 

Advocate for a significant increase in India's institutional capacity to respond to the reports of CSEAM related to India, including technical capacity and international outreach with agencies such as Interpol.


Ensure that individuals found guilty of all CSEAM-related crimes against women and children are entered into the National Database of Sexual Offenders, and a criminal record check must be mandatory for anyone seeking to work with children and other vulnerable groups.
 

Advocate for a unified, international response to end online child sexual exploitation and abuse which is legally binding through national legal frameworks. This includes cross-border technological solutions for reporting, monitoring, and data-sharing on crimes and perpetrators, and global accountability for the private sector.

Our Actions

Policy and institutional strengthening for reporting, response mechanism, regulation, tracking, monitoring and rehabilitation of victims.


Intervention in pending cases through legal guidance and technical support to police.
 

Legal aid to the victims to reintegrate and reinstate back into society.
 

Counselling support as part of every case, with mental health interventions where needed.

Partnership at Central and State level law enforcement agencies.

Technology and training support to police and government.

Investment in technologies and software to tackle CSEAM cases at all stages.

Targeted stakeholder awareness and inclusion of digital literacy in school curriculum.

Expanding evidence and knowledge through research.
 

Targeted deterrence messaging on public web.

 

Our Impact

730

cases of online CSEAM registered

April 1, 2023 to March 24, 2025

  • Actionable intelligence on child sexual abuse and exploitation material was shared with cybercrime agencies in 1,317 cases.

  • Running survivor support centers for victims of online CSA in Kerala’s 4 districts

  • Facilitated 7 state governments (Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab and Telangana) with technological solutions for enhancing the reporting and investigation of child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM) cases.

  • Engaged with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), established by the Ministry of Home Affairs, through knowledge sharing and capacity-building support.

  • Partnering with State governments across India, 10 MOUs signed with Law Enforcement Agencies, the Department of Women and Child Development, and the State Legal Services Authority to enhance digital safety for children through tech solutions, HR, mental health support, legal aid, training, awareness programs, and online safety curricula for schools.

  • The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations (UN) published the submission on the Special Rapporteur 'Call for Input: Existing and Emerging Sexually Exploitative Practices against Children in the Digital Environment' on their official website.

  • Established a Child Protection Unit in Telangana's LEAs to convert raw data into actionable intelligence for case investigations. LEAs nationwide are requesting to replicate this successful model.

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