Maharashtra beats Uttar Pradesh, tops in cybercrime against children

As per a report coming from The Times of India, Maharashtra tops the list of cybercrime cases against minors. Revealing shocking details, the report states that the state has recorded a 196 percent rise in cybercrime incidents against children between the years 2019 and 2020.

As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), despite the rise in cybercrime against minors only one person was convicted in the country among 116 people arrested for cyberstalking children in 2020.

As per the report, Maharashtra has recorded 207 cases of cybercrime against minors in 2020, followed by UP with 197 cases, Karnataka with 144, Kerala with 126, Odisha with 71 cases, and Andhra Pradesh with 52 cases. Overall, India has seen a 261 percent rise in cybercrime against children in the year 2020.

Reason: COVID lockdown

Experts believe that the rise in cybercrime cases has been due to the increased dependency on the internet during the COVID-19 lockdown. Experts also blame parents for not being able to monitor and keep track of their child’s activities online.

There has been a significant rise in creating and uploading objectionable videos featuring minors. Experts highlight that during the COVID lockdown there has been a significant increase in the creation of objectionable videos as children were stuck at home all the time. The report also highlights that “most of these videos were recorded by family members and neighbours. Many were also created by children themselves, who sometimes also sold them to make a quick buck.”

Quoting Cyber lawyer Prashant Mali, the report further stated that “many children are even groomed online and then convinced to engage in cybersex”. “Awareness at the school level is a must. Minors often fall victim to child porn by known people or relatives who entice them,” Mali said.

As per the latest numbers shared by NCRB, in 2020, the country registered 50,035 cybercrime cases across all categories, up from 44,546 in 2019. Overall, a total of 18,420 people were arrested and 18,189 charge-sheeted. NCRB data shows that only 1,369 were convicted.

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