An e-workshop was conducted on 23rd July 2020 by Nagaland Police in collaboration with International Justice Mission on the topic “Combating Online Exploitation of Children”. Nagaland Police felt the need to address the threat that comes along with the undeniable benefit from the internet connectivity for education and entertainment for children in this time of pandemic.
In the first of its kind, the workshop was organized on the subject to spread awareness. More than 90 participants from different departments like National Informatic Centre, Social Welfare Department, School Education Department, Information Technology and Communication, and Police officials from different districts headquarters attended this e-workshop.
The opening remarks was delivered by Sanjay Macwan, Vice- President, Partnerships – South Asia, International Justice Mission. He said, “Law enforcement agencies are the change makers, to bring social change by enforcing law and protecting people, especially those who cannot protect themselves. In this digital age, the vulnerability of the children has gone up. We need to ensure safety for them by controlling the power of the criminals.”
The keynote address of the inaugural session was delivered by Sandeep M. Tamgadge, IPS, ADGP, (Admin), Nagaland. His address threw light on how serious this crime is today and how it needs to be controlled. “This is the first-of its-kind, an e-workshop on the online crimes against children in Nagaland. The natural disasters are an advantage for human trafficking includes paedophiles and human traffickers. We need to take precautionary measures and Standard Operating Measures to ensure that our children are protected from the crimes of online sexual exploitation,” said Tamgadge.
Guillermo Galarza, Director of Law Enforcement Training and Technology, International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, presented on the global trends of online exploitation of children. “We as a community need to protect the children before they get into the hands of the offenders. It is a collaborative effort and need multi-disciplinary approach to tackle the crime,” said Galarza.
Mike Duffey, Cyber HighTech Crimes Unit, Florida Department of Law, presented on the Best practices for law enforcement in combating online sexual exploitation. “We see a lot of youngsters today spending hours and hours on Internet especially during this pandemic. This makes them more vulnerable to the crime. The molester, on the other hand is also present on the same platform, trying to lure the children,” said Duffey.
Venkatesh Murthy, Director, Data Security Council of India, shared on the Engaging Digital Forensics & Evidence in combating online sexual exploitation. “The most important part of digital forensic investigation is documentation. In today’s digital age, school should conduct awareness campaign for students and parents too. Schools need to ensure proper password for online classes and practice digital hygiene,” said Murthey.
Soyimna Aier, IPS, SP (HR&SJ) PHQ proposed the vote of thanks.
(DIPR)
