COP Lydia Yaako Donkor
DIRECTOR General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, has lamented over the increasing reported cases of child sexual exploitation in recent times in the country.
Addressing journalists at the CID Headquarters, COP Yaako Donkor indicated that the crime has gained ground in recent times and become very complex to fight, as most offenders are relatives of the victims.
“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,” she disclosed.
Addressing the recent rescue of four victims of child sexual exploitation, COP Yaako Donkor indicated that with the aid of Australian Federal Police and INTERPOL, they have arrested three Ghanaians for 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).
Narrating the incident leading to the arrest, the CID boss indicated that in January 2026, INTERPOL Accra 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.
According to the intelligence report, an Australian offender, who was arrested in 2025 and is currently standing trial in Australia, 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.
COP Yaako Donkor further indicated that the Australian authorities had 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 seven and 13 years in the Ashanti Region.
“Subsequently, one additional suspect was arrested, and two more victims aged six and seven years were rescued in the Bono Region,” she mentioned.
She added that all three suspects are currently in police custody, assisting with investigations, while the victims are in the care of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in the respective regions.
“I want to caution the general public that the police are 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 noted.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke