KOLKATA: The government is set to launch a campaign to sensitize parents and schools against the rising menace of child pornography and sexual abuse of children through social media.In order to devise a stronger firewall and enhance investigating methods of government agencies, the West Bengal Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, along with International Justice Mission, will hold an international conference on Sexual Exploitation in a Digital Era. Senior officials from several IT companies, social media platforms, cyber cops from different countries and school principals will meet to chalk out a modus operandi to protect kids from falling prey to pornography, exchange tips to enhance investigating capabilities and stress the formulation of stronger laws to tackle trans-border exploitation of children through social media. The commission is a wing of the department of women and child development and social welfare.“The nature of child pornography and exploitation of minors is changing and it has become a cause of concern for us,” said commission chairperson Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti, pointing out how human traffickers were using technology to escape the law. “The traffickers target children who are active online. They befriend the kids whom they coax into sending them their photos or videos or let them gain access to their private albums. Once they have the access, they start blackmailing the kids,” said Chakraborti.Saji Philip, director of operations of IJM in Kolkata, explained how children were kidnapped and then forced to engage in inappropriate acts for “clients” sitting in other countries. “The traffickers who post the pictures online are contacted by those interested. These clients are mostly from other countries. The children are forced to engage in sexual acts, depending on the demand of the client, who pays. The person sits at home and watches the entire thing unfold on social media,” Philip said.At the conference to be held at Biswa Bangla Centre on Friday and Saturday, investigating agencies in Kolkata will share their knowledge with their counterparts from other countries, aiming to enhance their investigative skills and creating a strong deterrence for people attempting to exploit kids. “This has become a global issue and not limited to a certain pocket or jurisdiction of any one agency. We need to devise a strategy to tackle it. We hold awareness sessions and undertake steps to create deterrence,” said Ajey Ranade, IG , CID.Times ViewThis is a serious issue and deserves all the attention it is getting. The scope for damage is vast and both children and parents need to be made aware of the potential dangers.

Stay updated with all the Kolkata Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.