In a major crackdown, the Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau arrested 15 people for child pornography/ sexual abuse material (CSAM) possession and sharing. Officials said the operation focused on repeat offenders who were found uploading and distributing explicit content involving children as young as 6 years old.
IIT Grad, Tech Workers Caught Sharing Child Pornography
“Most of the content originates from foreign victims, predominantly girls aged between 6 and 14, with 90% of material involving female children,” said Shikha Goel, director of the Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau, speaking in an interview.
The arrested suspects include highly educated men, many of whom are in their twenties and come from middle-class backgrounds. One is reportedly employed at a major tech company, while another is an unemployed engineering graduate.
Closed Online Groups Under Investigation
Goel said in an interview that the accused were likely members of a closed network used to share CSAM content. “All of them appeared to be part of closed user groups sharing such material. Whether they are part of any organised gang or cartel is still under investigation,” she said.
The suspects have already been remanded to judicial custody, and investigators are now working to determine whether the closed user groups are linked to larger organized criminal networks.
The arrests came during a one-day, statewide operation based on 57 cyber tip-line complaints. Teams from various districts, including Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Jagtial, and Yadagirigutta, carried out the coordinated action.
As a result of the crackdown, authorities filed 34 First Information Reports (FIRs). The FIRs were filed under the Information Technology Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
This case reveals the alarming and sudden rise of online child abuse and the troubling role of educated individuals. Police say they’re working to trace and dismantle the wider network behind the spread of such content.
