The Ghana Police Service in collaboration with the ‎Australian Federal Police and INTERPOL, has arrested three

‎Ghanaians for the taking, production, publication and processing of indecent images, photographs and videos of children, contrary to Section 62(1)(a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Cyber Security Act, 2020 (Act 1038).

‎Addressing the media today is COP Lydia Yaako Donkor who is the CID Boss stated that in January 2026, they received an intelligence report from INTERPOL Canberra in Australia and the Crimes Against

‎Children Unit of the INTERPOL General Secretariat regarding a case of child sexual exploitation. 

‎The intelligence was shared by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation’s Victim Identification Team.

‎COP Lydia said according to the intelligence report, an Australian offender, who was arrested in 2025 and is currently standing trial in Australia, they received child sexual exploitation material from facilitators based in Ghana. 

‎Records further showed that the offender transferred funds to the facilitators in Ghana in exchange for child sexual exploitation material involving victims also located in Ghana.

‎The Australian authorities, therefore, requested the Ghana Police Service to conduct investigations aimed at rescuing the victims and arresting the suspects.

‎Further investigations conducted by a team comprising officers

‎from INTERPOL Accra and the Child Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Unit, under the supervision of the Director General of

‎the CID, led to the arrest of two suspects and the rescue of two victims aged between 7 and 13 years in the Ashanti Region.

‎Subsequently, one additional suspect was arrested, and two more

‎victims aged 6 and 7 years were rescued in the Bono Region.

‎All three suspects are currently in Police custody assisting

‎investigations, while the victims are in the care of the Domestic

‎Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in the respective

‎regions. 

‎Abuse Relief Corps, an NGO in Ghana, is assisting DOVVSU in providing care and support for the victims.

‎The Ghana Police Service wishes to remind the general public that child sexual abuse is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand penalty units, or a term of

‎imprisonment of not more than ten years, or both. It has come to the attention of the Police Administration that this

‎type of crime is increasing because it is relatively easy to commit, difficult to detect, and financially rewarding. 

Sadly, in the current case under investigation, the offenders are close relatives of the victims, specifically an older brother and a mother, who ordinarily and under the law are responsible for the custody and care of the children.

COP Lydia further caution the general public that the police is actively collaborating with international partners and all relevant stakeholders to combat this crime, which dehumanises victims,

‎negatively affects their self-esteem, and places their future in jeopardy.

‎She finally wish to thank all stakeholders, particularly Abuse Relief Corps and the Australian Federal Police, not only for sharing intelligence but also for travelling to Ghana to support

‎investigations into the case. 

‎‎COP Lydia added that the Ghana Police Service will soon roll out a sensitisation programme and establish additional

‎cybercrime and child protection units across the regions to strengthen the fight against these crimes.

Sompaonline.com/Bismarck Oppong