- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Sat, 21 Feb 2026 04:02 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In an unexpected turn of events, a couple preyed on kids using access to video games, chocolates and gifts, for over a decade to run child-porn operations. As per the information, the accused, identified as Ram Bhawan, along with his wife, made over 2 lakh videos involving a dozen victims, all boys under the age of 18, with a few as young as three years old.
According to the prosecution, Ram Bhawan, who worked as a junior engineer in the state irrigation department, operated the illegal racket from a rented room in Chitrakoot between 2010 and 2020. The investigation, led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since late 2020, revealed that the accused targeted boys from Banda, Chitrakoot and nearby districts.
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Officials said Ram Bhawan lured children by offering access to online video games, money, mobile phones, chocolates and watches. After filming the abuse, he allegedly threatened the victims using the recorded material to ensure their silence for years.
The CBI said the accused committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault against at least 33 male children. Some reports suggested the number of victims could be higher. Out of 74 witnesses, 25 victims testified during the trial.
"During the investigation of the case, it surfaced that the accused persons had committed various forms of perversity, including aggravated penetrative sexual assaults against 33 male children, some of them as young as three years of age," HT quoted a CBI official.
Investigators recovered a pen drive containing 34 explicit videos and 679 images. The prosecution stated that the couple used multiple mobile numbers and email accounts to upload and distribute content through social media platforms, websites and the dark web. The material was allegedly circulated in nearly 47 countries, with Interpol assisting in tracing three mobile numbers linked to online sales.
Officials also reported that several victims continue to suffer from severe psychological trauma, with some requiring hospitalisation.
The couple was convicted under the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act for offences including aggravated penetrative sexual assault, use of children for pornographic purposes, storage of child sexual abuse material, abetment and criminal conspiracy.