Non-consensual sharing of sexual content, is now a lucrative business

By Piyumi Fonseka  

Sexual content of Sri Lankan girls, as young as 15 years of age, keeps growing exponentially on the internet, preying on countless victims. 

In disturbing trends, WhatsApp groups, closed Facebook groups, Dropboxes and pornography websites are devoting themselves to sharing images and videos of Sri Lankan women and girls. 

These predators have turned the illegal practice into a lucrative business.   

“This racket is becoming more and more sophisticated. These predators are generating content, exploiting young Sri Lankans including school girls and boys through an economic module,” said Hans Billimoria, the Director of The Grassrooted Trust - an organisation that works on sexual and reproductive health education.  In the meantime, the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing have led to an increase in such cases that are generally identified as cyber exploitation. Information Security Engineer of Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) Ravindu Meegasmulla said the problem had always been there, but the pandemic made it more apparent, and an easier place for predatory sexual exploitation. 
 Read the full article on page 6.  

• The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing have led to an increase in  such cases that are generally identified as cyber exploitation