NCPCR to ask ISPs to block videos showing child abuse

New Delhi: Child abuse videos on the internet have become a recurring phenomenon and are available in abundance, showing the extent of violation of rights of children.

During its investigation, the National Commission of Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has found that such videos violate the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act and Information Technology (IT) Act.

The Commission will write to internet service providers (ISP), asking them monitor such content and stop such videos from going on the internet.

Yashwant Jain, member, NCPCR, stated there are several complaints of child abuse videos doing rounds of the internet and have an adverse effect on children who see it on the computer or cellphones.

"Another problem is child pornography, which must be stopped as it harms the children. We want these videos to be taken off the internet," said Jain.

The Commission will send a letter to Internet Service Providers Association of India in this regard.

A copy of the four-page letter, accessed by Millennium Post, states that the ISPs showing the identity of child victims of sexual abuse are in violation of JJ Act, POCSO and IT Act.

The letter contains detailed description of all children-related laws which are violated if a video of a child being abused is shown online.

"The letter will be sent shortly to the ISPs," said an NCPCR official.

The Commission's POCSO e-box has received more than 50 cases wherein the POCSO Act has been violated.

The data, accessed by Millennium Post, contains details of cases from August 26, 2016, to December 8, 2017, and shows that 59 complaints were registered under POCSO. Of these, 46 were disposed off.

Additionally, Delhi Police have arrested more than 1,300 persons involved cases of rape, molestation and eve-teasing arrested this year alone.

The arrests also included persons who have been accused of rape, molestation and eve-teasing of minors.