In Bihar’s Saran district, a relatively remote location given the intensity of the crime, 162 minor girls have been rescued this year alone from troupes masquerading as orchestra-and-dance teams. Investigators say the troupes were barely concealed fronts used to force the girls into prostitution.
The minor girls were typically lured with the promise of money and employment coupled with the biggest enticement of them all – two-minutes of fame on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
According to Saran Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumar Ashish, the “girls were being forced to dance in orchestras and were subjected to inappropriate acts.”
Of those rescued, eight were from West Bengal, four from Odisha, two from Jharkhand and Delhi, and one from Bihar, the SP said, adding that the operation was led by the Women’s Police Station and conducted with support of local police teams and members of non-profit organisations such as Mission Mukti Foundation, Rescue Foundation (Delhi) and Narayani Sewa Sansthan (Saran).
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Trafficking via social media
Dance troupes are a popular conduit, but by no means the only ones. Meeting online is the real killer. Amid a rise in trafficking cases in the National Capital Region (NCR), to name just one territory, several instances have come to light where gullible victims are increasingly trapped through social media platforms.
In another well-publicised case, a 14-year-old from West Bengal, met a trafficker online on one such platform and began chatting. It turned out to be more than mere harmless chit-chat. After gaining this underage girl’s trust, the trafficker persuaded her to leave home and whisked her away to sell her to a ‘safehouse’ in the national capital. The teen was rescued from Delhi recently, weeks after being trafficked to the city.
“Social networking websites have recently developed into a popular tool that men and traffickers use to approach young girls without any boundaries and entice them with the promise of better opportunities and coerce them into sexual exploitation. To educate young girls about the various methods that human traffickers use to conceal their identities, to entice them, and coerce them into exploitation, schools should implement a curriculum on cyber-enabled human trafficking cases. It is important to raise awareness among children,” Rishi Kant, activist and member of Shakti Vahini, told the media.
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Internet spurs upward mobility
India’s infatuation with the internet is staggering. In early 2025, India had an estimated 806 million internet users, representing 55.3 per cent of the population. Projections indicate this number will continue to grow, with some reports suggesting India could surpass 900 million internet users by the end of 2025. This growth is being driven by increasing access in rural areas and the adoption of Indic languages for online content.
This combination works in total sync. India is one of the youngest countries in the world, and 65 per cent of its estimated 1.464 billion population is below 35.
In such a gigantic digital ecosystem, where children are increasingly exposed to online platforms, the prevalence of online child sexual abuse and exploitation poses a significant threat to their safety and well-being.
While social mobility in India is, without doubt, opening new frontiers, offering the promise of upward mobility, it is not without its downsides. For many, particularly in the lower castes or classes of society, it is exacerbating vulnerabilities, making individuals, with stars in their eyes, susceptible to sexual exploitation in various contexts.
Individuals, particularly from unprotected backgrounds, may be forced to seek work or support from exploitative individuals or institutions to climb the social ladder. Migrants or individuals moving to urban areas in search of opportunities find a whole new life online – a life which they know very little about. Once caught up in the vicious cycle, they may lack the social networks and support systems that can protect them from exploitation, both sexual and economic.
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More takers for child sexual abuse content
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken Suo motu cognisance of a media report of 2023, which claimed that the circulation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) had increased by 250 to 300 per cent on social media in India.
“The Commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, amount to a violation of human rights relating to the life, liberty, and dignity of citizens, and protection of the young children from the danger of their sexual abuse on social media. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, the Director Generals of the Police of all the States/UTs, the Director, the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), and the Secretary, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, calling for a detailed report in the matter within 6 weeks on the steps taken to prevent such menace on social media,” the report by the commission said.
Given the magnitude of the problem, certain key recommendations are in order. They include mandatory reporting of online child sexual abuse, due diligence by internet service providers (ISPs), and the establishment of log retention periods to facilitate effective cybercrime investigations.
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Comprehensive approach must to fight crime
What is also considered obligatory is a comprehensive approach involving parents, lawmakers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and law enforcement agencies that is essential for combating online child sexual abuse. Crucially, leveraging new technological solutions and signing international conventions is proposed to enhance cooperation and improve prosecution efforts across borders.
There is also the urgent need to focus on the multifaceted issue of online child sexual abuse and exploitation, focusing on interpersonal cybercrimes and the legal provisions in India aimed at combating these offences. It highlights the vulnerabilities faced by children in digital environments, particularly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a surge in internet usage among young users.
The path ahead is littered with thorns, even for those who may be well intentioned. Technological advancements, such as encrypted messaging platforms and peer-to-peer networks, have made detecting and prosecuting offenders increasingly difficult. The existing legislations in India have several significant gaps, thereby limiting the effective protection for children in the digital realm.
Deadly cocktail
It is not as if the Supreme Court is not seized of the matter. In September last year, it asked social media intermediaries to observe due diligence, which included not only the removal of child pornographic content but also making an immediate report of such content to the concerned police units in the manner specified under the (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) POCSO Act.
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The apex court also said social media intermediaries, in addition to reporting the commission or the likely apprehension of commission of any offence under POCSO to the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), is also obligated to report the same to authorities specified under Section 19 of POCSO i.e., the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) or the local police.
Clearly the lines are drawn. But the gargantuan spread of the internet, coupled with vulnerability of the weaker sections and an upward mobility that a growing economy spawns, is a deadly cocktail. Getting a handle on this volatile mix is going to be a challenge for all stakeholders.
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