According to data provided by the International Criminal Police Organization, also known as the Interpol, India reported over 24 lakh cases of online child sexual abuse between 2017 and 2020, PTI reported on Wednesday, 17 November.
More than four fifths of the female victims were less than 14 years old.
In response to these frighteningly high numbers, the Central Bureau of Investigation has commenced an operation against those peddling online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in India.
Many online websites are already under the CBI's scanner.
The Interpol data shows that consumers of CSAM are growing rapidly.
The report also found that more than 1 lakh queries on child pornography were made on only one search engine on the internet.
50 online media groups that have thousands of members from a bunch of countries like Pakistan, Canada, USA, and Yemen among others are now being probed by the CBI.
Officials said that the central agency "is coordinating with sister agencies through formal and informal channels".
It initiated a crackdown in 14 states, carrying out search operations in over 70 locations, and even arrested seven people.
The operation had started on Children's Day, that is, 14 November, by registering 23 separate FIRs against 83 accused.
A senior official said that some of the people that have been booked by the CBI "were earning regular income in their bank accounts linked to such online platforms. Money trail is being followed to work out the backward and forward linkages of the offenders".
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)