Beware: Sex offenders using COVID-19 crisis to stalk children online

A 106 per cent rise in global reports of suspected child sexual exploitation has been recorded.

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In marking the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons today, it is becoming clear that Covid-19 has devastated the livelihoods of millions of people, leaving them more vulnerable to global criminal networks. Traffickers are having a heyday preying on willing and readily available victims who are reeling from the effects of economic meltdown that has interrupted normal life and led to job losses and pay cuts. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says in its latest report that children are particularly at higher risk of sex trafficking arising from increased online presence due to closure of schools.