Accra,- More than 13,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse were reportedly accessed or uploaded from Ghana in 2020, Madam Ama Pomaa Boateng, Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, has said.
She described the practice as unacceptable and asked Ghanaians to promote safe and positive use of the internet among children.
Madam Boateng said this on Tuesday to commemorate the Africa Safer Internet Day 2022 (ASID).
The Africa Safer Internet Day is celebrated on the second Tuesday of February each year to raise awareness on emerging child online issues and current concerns and the need for all stakeholders, including parents, guardians, teachers, civil society, and religious bodies to get interested in the experiences of children and young people online.
It is on the theme, “Positioning and Partnering for Child Online Protection.”
Madam Boateng underscored the need for stakeholders to come together to discuss and promote the safe use of the internet and make it a better place for all, especially children and young people.
She said it was an offense for anyone to take, possess or even distribute an indecent photograph or video of children under the age of 18.
She noted that child stalking, cyber bullying, and the publication of indecent images of children were on the rise and that it would be a tragedy to ignore the threats posed by the internet.
The Deputy Minister said the consequences could be so great, exposing the failures of guardians, parents, teachers, friends, educators, civil society, and government.
She said the Ghana Cyber Security Act 2020 Act 10 (38) made provision for the protection of children online.
Madam Boateng said the Act criminalised and sanctioned offenses against children online, adding that some of those offenses attracted 25 years imprisonment.
She said to ensure the law was enforced, capacity building programmes were being organised for law enforcement agencies to equip them to prosecute perpetrators of all forms of child online abuse.
The Deputy Minister said the Government was also engaging the international community to ensure effective collaboration in the fight against cybercrime and protect the rights of children online.
She said in 2019, Government launched the Cyber Security Incident Reporting Point of Contact to allow everyone, including children to conveniently call, text, send a WhatsApp message or email to report cyber security related issues and receive guidance.
Madam Boateng called on the Civil Society Organisations, schools, religious bodies, and the media to participate in creating awareness of the safer use of the internet.
Madam Afua Eyeson-Brown, Lead for Child Online Protection, Cyber Security Authority (CSA) in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said some of the dangers, children were exposed to on the internet include online grooming (adults taking advantage of children for sexual purposes), sextortion (lure children to share their nudity and later use it to extort them), cyber bullying, identity theft and Mobile Money fraud.
She advised victims of such cases not to delete conversations or any information that could help with investigations.
Madam Eyeson-Brown, who is also the President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Ghana (FIDA), said victims could contact CSA by dialing 292 to make reports or lodge a formal complaint with the Police or the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU).
She urged parents to monitor children and guide them on how and when to use the internet.
Source: Ghana News Agency