Police in Odisha have arrested a 24-year-old man from Cuttack district for allegedly accessing and storing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) on his mobile phone. The arrest was made on Monday following a tip-off from an international monitoring agency.
International Tip-Off Leads to Arrest
The accused, identified as Sayed Khan, a resident of Mata Nagar in Salipur, was tracked by the state crime branch's special unit that monitors online abuse against children and women. The authorities received technical intelligence through a collaboration with an international watchdog, which flagged Khan for accessing illegal content on social media and messaging platforms.
Vinit Agrawal, the Superintendent of Police for Cuttack (rural), stated that upon receiving the input from the crime branch, a team seized Khan's mobile phone. "After finding incriminating evidence, we took him into custody on charges of storing and watching child pornography. His device was sent to the cyber forensic laboratory for further investigation," Agrawal said.
Storing Child Abuse Content is a Serious Crime
Police officials emphasized a crucial legal distinction. While watching adult pornography is not prohibited, accessing, storing, or viewing sexually exploitative content involving children is a punishable offence. This crime is treated as equivalent to producing, filming, or circulating such material online.
Authorities warned that individuals who attempt to access such content on websites or social media are instantly tracked and flagged by cyber security agencies under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The monitoring is stringent and leads to swift action.
How the Global Monitoring Network Works
The arrest highlights the effectiveness of an international pact aimed at combating online child exploitation. On April 26, 2019, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Under this agreement:
- The NCMEC acts as a watchdog, constantly monitoring online platforms and intermediaries for suspicious activity.
- When such activity is detected, the centre raises alerts and shares the details with the NCRB in India.
- The NCRB then forwards this intelligence to the concerned state and Union Territory authorities for investigation and action, as seen in the Cuttack case.
The accused, Sayed Khan, works part-time at a commercial establishment in Cuttack. His arrest serves as a stark reminder that law enforcement agencies, both domestic and international, are actively collaborating to identify and prosecute those involved in the heinous crime of child sexual exploitation online.
