An investigation has been launched following a notification from an NGO in the United States regarding a group altering and disseminating sexually explicit photographs of minors in Sri Lanka on the Internet.
The Police Children and Women’s Bureau informed Colombo Additional Magistrate Keminda Perera that the notification was issued by an NGO called the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Samanthi Renuka, Chief Inspector of Police at the Children and Women Abuse Prevention Bureau told the court an investigation conducted by the NCMEC focusing on children from 181 countries, it was found that photographs of children in Sri Lanka had been subjected to alteration and released online in a sexually explicit manner.
The Chief Inspector informed the Court that the NGO had shared this information with the Children and Women’s Bureau of the Police Headquarters.
The exact number of children whose photos were doctored as obscene images has not yet been determined. The Police also informed the Court that a comprehensive investigation would be launched to identify the number of children involved and the suspects responsible for doctoring the photographs.
After considering the submissions, the Magistrate ordered the Women’s Bureau to conduct a formal investigation into the incident and report their findings to the Court.
