In Uttar Pradesh, 18 of the 24 children rescued from cybercrime cases were girls under 18 years old (Representative image) LUCKNOW: Girls accounted for 75% of the 24 children rescued in 22 cybercrime cases registered across Uttar Pradesh, with police records revealing that 18 of the rescued minors were girls and 10 children were aged 10 or below.The cases, reported from districts including Bulandshahr, Azamgarh, Rampur, Bijnor, Kanpur Nagar and Lucknow, involved children across a wide age range.Among the youngest victims were a two-year-old boy in Lucknow and a two-year-old girl in Bijnor, according to the records.The data highlights the vulnerability of children to online sexual exploitation and abuse, including situations in which offenders allegedly concealed their identities or exploited existing relationships and proximity to their victims.According to the Cyber Crime Police, offenders in these cases sexually exploited children by disguising their identities or taking advantage of their connections with victims through family, neighbourhood and social relationships.In some cases, the offenders allegedly created objectionable photographs and videos involving children and used the material to blackmail them into engaging in unlawful activities. Such material was also reportedly circulated or sold through online platforms.Bulandshahr, Bijnor among districts with multiple casesBulandshahr featured in several cases involving minor girls, with FIRs registered at Kotwali City, Araniya, Sikandrabad and Jahangirabad police stations between December 2025 and September 2026.Bijnor also recorded multiple cases, including the rescue of a two-year-old girl from Sherkot police station limits in July 2026. Other cases in the district involved a 12-year-old boy in Kotwali City and a 15-year-old girl in Mandawar.The records also include cases from Azamgarh, where two girls aged 15 and 16 were rescued in a case registered at Gambhirpur police station in June 2026. Another case registered at Jiyanpur police station involved a 17-year-old girl.In Kanpur Nagar, a 16-year-old girl was rescued in a case registered at Chamanganj police station in July 2026. Lucknow’s Gosainganj police station recorded a case involving a two-year-old boy in October 2025.Other districts represented in the records include Rampur, Pilibhit, Kanshiram Nagar, Ghazipur, Ambedkar Nagar, Baghpat, Etah, Basti, Maharajganj and Mau.Cases involve children as young as twoThe age profile of the rescued children is particularly concerning, with the records documenting victims as young as two years old. Several other cases involved children aged six, seven, nine and 10, alongside teenagers aged 15, 16 and 17.The range of ages underscores the need for vigilance beyond the conventional understanding of online risks faced by adolescents.Very young children can also be affected by exploitation facilitated by adults or people within their immediate social environment.A senior officer at the Uttar Pradesh Cyber Crime Headquarters said complaints related to the online exploitation and harassment of women and children reach law enforcement through two key channels: the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).Under an MoU between the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and NCMEC, reports flagged by global technology platforms such as Meta, Google, Microsoft, Snapchat and TikTok are routed to I4C’s Online Cybercrime against Women and Children (OCWC) unit and then shared with states for action. Victims can also directly report offences through the NCRP portal while keeping their identities confidential.In Uttar Pradesh, the Cyber Crime Headquarters analyses these complaints and forwards them to the concerned police commissionerates and districts.If a cognisable offence is found during verification, an FIR is registered and an investigation launched. Based on digital and other evidence, accused persons are arrested and charge sheets filed before courts, while steps are taken to ensure the safety and protection of victims.
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