child exploitation

Jharkhand CID busted an online child sexual exploitation racket in Giridih, arresting two individuals. The investigation revealed the illegal circulation and sale of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) to users in the Middle East, including Oman and the UAE, as well as Bangladesh. Recovered digital content confirmed the illicit activities.

A Gujarati-origin tech professional, Siddharth Sunil Kumar Patel, was arrested in Florida for allegedly attempting to exploit minors. Undercover operations by ICAC led to his apprehension after he engaged in explicit online conversations and traveled for a planned sexual encounter. Patel faces serious felony charges, highlighting ongoing efforts to protect children online.

Justice Secretary David Lammy unveiled plans to cut youth custody by 25%, inspired by his own experiences growing up in Tottenham. The reforms aim to reduce pre-trial detentions, introduce youth intervention courts, and enhance parental accountability. These measures seek to divert children from crime and prevent future offending by offering community sentences and specialized support.

Nepal’s current law treats any sexual relationship involving a person below 18 as rape, regardless of consent, while the legal marriage age in the country is 20.

In a startling operation in Gopalganj district, Bihar, law enforcement has freed over 40 young girls caught in the clutches of orchestra groups. The authorities arrested 22 people suspected of trafficking and exploiting these minors, aged between 10 to 17, who were deceived from across various states by alluring promises.

The Uttarakhand High Court denied bail to a mother accused of forcing her 13-year-old daughter into physical relationships. Citing the severity of allegations and potential harm to the child, the court emphasized that trial courts should address inconsistencies and delays, not bail proceedings. The mother remains in custody since June 2025.

In Geneva, Meghan Markle dazzled in an elegant all-black outfit during the inauguration of The Lost Screen Memorial. Her impactful speech at the World Health Assembly shed light on the tragic loss of children to online violence, calling on tech companies to take actionable steps in safeguarding young users against harmful content.

Top tech CEOs from Google, Meta, TikTok, and Snap are summoned to Washington for a crucial hearing on child online safety. Facing mounting pressure from lawmakers and thousands of lawsuits alleging harm to young users, these tech giants are under scrutiny. TikTok's CEO also faces unique questions regarding its US operations.

Devendra Kumar, founder of Ladli Foundation, transformed his own traumatic childhood in a Delhi slum into a mission to empower vulnerable girls and women. His foundation has provided education and livelihoods to 2.7 million children, tackling issues from child marriage to digital literacy and hygiene.

A former East London imam, Abdul Halim Khan, has been jailed for life after being convicted of 21 sexual offences, including rape and child rape, against seven victims over a decade. He exploited his religious authority, claiming supernatural powers to manipulate and abuse vulnerable women and children. The case highlights safeguarding failures and barriers victims face when reporting abuse.

Two men have been arrested in Bengaluru for sexually abusing two minor girls, recording the acts, and uploading them online for profit. The arrests followed an alert from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

Nalanda police successfully rescued four girls, three of them minors, from an illegal orchestra racket in Silao. Four individuals, including a woman, were apprehended for allegedly forcing the girls into performances and subjecting them to harassment. Authorities suspect an interstate human trafficking network was involved, and an investigation is ongoing.