The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), USA was established in 1984 as a private and nonprofit organization. The NCMEC serves as a focal point in providing assistance to parents, children, law enforcement, schools, and the community in recovering missing children and raising public awareness about ways to help prevent child abduction, molestation, and sexual exploitation. The NCMEC, USA, also provises the CyberTipline services. CyberTipline is a reporting mechanism for cases of child sexual exploitation including child pornography, online enticement of children for sex acts, molestation of children outside the family, sex tourism of children, child victims of prostitution, and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child. In the USA reports by the designated authorities and general public can be made 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, digital and non-digital means.
The CyberTipline initiative has been a successful model and has been serving the US for good about 22 years since its inception. India also needed this initiative and the common knowledge and database will also help in serving the Indian Government and Population to safeguard children.
Recently, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC), USA has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding and cooperation to receive information on such material originating from India.
On 29 January 2020, The Director, Intelligence Bureau, Mr Arvind Kumar inaugurated the Indian Cyber Tipline monitoring facility at the NCRB HQ, New Delhi. At the function the Director said “That intersection between crime and technology is more apparent today than ever before. Digital technologies and the internet have not only spurred cybercrimes but also made them much more sophisticated. It is therefore requisite for law enforcement agencies to be agile skilled in the use of latest technology and adopt innovative methods to track, investigate and combat cybercrimes”. He complimented NCRB for their efforts in promoting ‘Ease of living’. And also for the specific initiatives that have been launched including the “Cyber Tipline” venture.
The Director also informed that approximately 25000 Cyber Tipline Reports have been received so far and the NCRB has already shared the information with the States/UTs. It is also reported that, out of the 25000 reports 15 have been classified as high priority, and the States/UTs have also initiated over 57 FIRs against them, and investigation on them are also under way.