The United States National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported receiving 3,638 suspected cases of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) from Fiji in 2023. This information was disclosed by Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica during a parliamentary session, where he provided an update on the National Taskforce to Address Pornography.
Kamikamica emphasized that the NCMEC’s Cyber Tip Line functions as the primary source for leads regarding child exploitation in the US, highlighting that American electronic service providers are legally required to report such crimes. The majority of these reports, around 99 percent, come from these providers like Meta, Google, and TikTok, with a smaller fraction originating from public submissions.
The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out the importance of investigating these cyber tip reports and mentioned ongoing discussions between NCMEC and the Fiji Police Force, supported by the US Government, to provide necessary training for local law enforcement. He noted that 2023 saw a significant number of reports from Fiji and reiterated the need for vigilance among parents, guardians, and community members regarding the images and videos of children shared online.
Kamikamica stressed the importance of being cautious about uploading pictures or videos of children inappropriately clothed, warning that such content could be misused by offenders in harmful ways. He called for collective efforts to protect children both in the physical realm and online.