CBI begins probe into an online racket run by Mumbai man – Mumbai Mirror

Mumbai: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s Delhi unit has begun probe against a Mumbai resident who allegedly contacted around a thousand minors, located in India and abroad, to lure /threaten them into sending to him sexually explicit content via social media platforms, the agency said on Sunday.

The accused would pose fraudulently as an actor to befriend his victims then persuade/ force them into sending pornographic content to him, using the promise of an acting role as bait, agency sources said. While the probe is still in a preliminary stage, CBI sources said the 30-year-old accused would invariably procure the sexually-explicit content allegedly for his own “sexual pleasure” and have so far not found any monetary aspect in his transactions.

CBI questioned the accused over the allegations some time back and the probe is in the preliminary stage still. Efforts are on to establish if he had accomplices and is a part of a wider racket, agency sources said. “The probe revealed that he would pose as an actor and contacted around a thousand minors in the age of 10 to 16, seeking their sexually-explicit content, promising them acting roles. He used fraud and threats— he would threaten a potential victim that he would inform the family whatever explicit content already available with him—to get what he wanted,” a source said. The accused hails from Uttar Pradesh but is located in Mumbai. “He claimed to be a small-time actor, but his claim is still being established,” the source said.
“He contacted minors located in India as well as the United States, Europe and south Asia and the probe is ascertaining as to how many of those contacted by him actually yielded to his enticement / threats,” the source said. The CBI invoked sections under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act related to sexual harassment and for offences covered under the Information Technology Act against the accused. “CBI has registered a case in Delhi under section 12 of the POCSO act and relevant section of the Information Technology Act and the investigation is on,” CBI’s spokesperson RK Gaur said.

CBI’s Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention/ Investigation (OCSAE) team is conducting the probe. It had recently also initiated a probe against an accused in Delhi for the alleged sale of child pornography audio-visual content via an online platform to customers, who paid at least Rs 250 to get access to the objectionable material. OCSAE deals with matters pertaining to online child sexual abuse and exploitation. Apart from receiving various references/information, the unit is undertaking investigation of various offences relating to online child sexual abuse and exploitation.