Protect your children from cyber predators, counsellor in UAE says

[email protected] (Gulf News)
June 18, 2012
Protect_your_children

Abu Dhabi, June 18: A counsellor was shocked to hear from a teenager that he had sold his sister’s nude video on internet to make money.


The expatriate family in the UAE took him to the counsellor when he was found bunking the classes and exams of his professional course back home.


“They thought he might be addicted to drugs but it was something else. He was lured by pornography mafia on the internet, which offer money in lieu of providing pornography contents,” said Mohammad Mustafa, an Information Technology professional.


Mustafa, an Indian resident in Abu Dhabi, has established a Non-Governmental Organisation namely Developing Internet Safe Community (DISC) Foundation in India to raise awareness about internet safety. The foundation is planning to expand its awareness activities in the UAE and other Gulf states also soon.

Mustafa was sharing an experience of a counsellor associated with his organisation. He said the boy placed a secret video camera in the sisters’ bedroom and sold the video to the mafia which offered him attractive remuneration, Mustafa said.


“Luckily that video did not spread on internet and the family never came to know about it; otherwise they would have committed suicide. It still remains a secret between the boy and the counsellor,” he explained.

The guy came back to normal life after long counselling sessions, he said.


Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry which seeks fresh pictures and videos in lieu of money, he said. Worldwide pornography revenue in 2006 was $97.06 billion (Dh 356.21 billion) which was expected to be doubled in 2011.


“They lure youngsters online into the trade to gather unique or fresh content,” Mustafa said. The deceived youngsters may create contents from their own home, when they are unable to find it outside, he explained.


The surveys in the US have indicated that 90 per cent of children age 8-16 have viewed pornography online (many while doing homework).


Adults as well as children receive unsolicited email attempting to redirect them to a pornographic site.


“A hacker can easily control your webcam to take pictures or videos at your home and place software in your computer to steal photos or videos, if you don’t protect them properly,” Mustafa said.


Apart from the problem of falling victims to pornography mafia, his organisation plans to conduct awareness classes and presentations for parents and children about the various threats in cyber world such as cyber sex addiction, cyber bullying, online harassment or cyber stalking, identity theft, cyber-relationship addiction, violent and hateful contents, online gambling addiction etc.


To avoid such problems, the foundation wants to propagate the practical tips among people. It wants to help to teach internet etiquette, technically secure the computer, monitor children’s online activities, data mine with popular search engines etc.


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News Network
February 10,2020

New Delhi, Feb 10: A 44-year-old man allegedly killed his daughter and son before ending his life by jumping in front of a Delhi metro train at Haiderpur Badli Mor station on Sunday, police said.

No suicide note has been recovered, but police claimed that the man, Madhur Malani, was depressed since his sandpaper-manufacturing factory was closed some six months ago due to financial crunch leaving him jobless. Madhur's parents had been supporting his family financially since then.

He used to stay with his wife Rupali, daughter Samiksha (14) and six-year-old son Shraiyans at a rented house in northwest Delhi's Shalimar Bagh area, they said.

Rupali was not at home when Madhur strangled their children. He might have also smothered their daughter but the exact cause of death would be ascertained only after the post-mortem reports arrive, a police official said.

After killing his two children, he jumped in front of an approaching train at Haiderpur Badli Mor Metro station following which he was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him 'brought dead', the official said.

Metro services on the Yellow Line were briefly delayed due to the incident.

"Delay in services from Samaypur Badli to GTB Nagar due to a passenger on track at Haiderpur Badli Mor," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted.

After about 15 minutes, it again tweeted that normal services have been restored. The Delhi Metro's Yellow Line connects Samaypur Badli in Delhi to HUDA City Centre in Gurgaon.

The suicide was reported to the police around 5.40 pm while the Shalimar Bagh Police station received a call about the killings around 6.50 pm.

On reaching the house, police found bodies of the children lying in beds in two rooms. During enquiry, it was learnt that their father has left the house, a senior police officer said.

While police were trying to trace Madhur, they learnt about a suicide at the metro station. On verifying the details, it surfaced that Madhur committed suicide after killing his children, the officer said.

Rupali told police that she had gone to a nearby market around 3 pm and on returning home she found the bodies of her children while her husband was missing.

A case under relevant sections of the IPC has been registered and investigation was underway, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Vijayanta Arya said.

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News Network
April 9,2020

Gonda, Apr 9: A man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his room as he was missing his wife stuck at her parents' place due to the lockdown, police said.

The incident took place in Radha Kund locality here on Wednesday, they said, adding the deceased has been identified as Rakesh Soni, 32.

As per information, Soni's wife had gone to her parents' place and was stuck there due to the lockdown and he was missing her due to which he committed suicide, Inspector Alok Rao said.

A probe is on in the mater, he said.

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News Network
January 17,2020

Jan 17: Police have busted a "high- profile" sex racket operating in a three-star hotel in suburban Andheri and arrested a 29-year-old woman and rescued three female artists, including a minor, an official said on Thursday.

The Social Service (SS) branch of the city police conducted the raid at the hotel at Andheri East on Thursday, the official said.

"During the raid, three females, including a minor, were found to have been forced into prostitution. They were rescued and a woman, identified as Priya Sharma, who was operating the racket, was arrested," he said.

"Sharma was running tours and travel agency in Kandivali East. However, she was involved in immoral activities," senior inspector of SS branch, Sandesh Revale, said.

While one of the rescued is a woman actor and singer, who has worked in 'Savdhaan India' TV crime show, he said, another one has worked in a Marathi movie and serials.

The minor has worked in a web series, Revale added.

The offence was being registered against Sharma, he said.

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