The Coalition to End Sexual Violence Against Children (SVAC) in Uganda has expressed deep concern over recent security operations in Kampala that resulted in the arrest of 27 girls and young women aged between 17 and 26 years over allegations of online prostitution and other forms of digital sexual exploitation.
While the arrests have generated widespread public attention, the Coalition urges the public and policymakers not to view these incidents solely through a criminal justice lens. Where children are involved, such cases highlight deeper systemic challenges and should serve as a national wake-up call on the urgent need to make digital spaces, homes, schools, and communities safer for all children.
“Like children subjected to child marriage, defilement, sexual harassment, and other forms of sexual violence, children who become involved in online sexual activities are often victims of exploitation, coercion, manipulation, trafficking, abuse, neglect, poverty, and weak child protection systems,” Said Ms. Hadijjah Mwanje, team lead at High sound for children.
She emphasized that addressing these underlying vulnerabilities is critical to preventing further harm and ensuring that every child is protected both online and offline.
“Uganda’s rapidly expanding digital landscape, fueled by increased internet access and widespread use of social media platforms, has created unprecedented opportunities for learning, innovation, entertainment, and social connection. However, it has also exposed children to online predators, exploitative networks, harmful content, and unsafe digital environments. In many cases, parents, caregivers, community leaders, policymakers, and even children themselves remain insufficiently informed about these risks and how to mitigate them,” she noted during a press conference in Ntinda, Kampala.
Online sexual exploitation of children takes many forms, including commercial sexual exploitation, child sexual abuse material, online grooming, sexting, sexual extortion, trafficking facilitated through digital platforms, and the live streaming of child sexual abuse. These crimes can affect any child, regardless of age, gender, religion, social status, or economic background.
Mr. Damon Wamara, the executive director of Uganda Child rights NGO network said that SVAC Coalition believes these incidents should spark a national conversation and collective action to address the growing threat of sexual violence against children.
“The Coalition further calls for urgent, child-centered interventions that prioritize prevention, protection, rehabilitation, and psychosocial support,” he emphasized.
According to him, sexual violence against children can have lifelong consequences, including trauma, depression, anxiety, social stigma, and school dropout. Online sexual exploitation can further increase children’s vulnerability to trafficking, blackmail, and repeated abuse. While civil society organizations, the media, parents and caregivers, religious leaders, and teachers all play an important role in educating children about online risks and sexual exploitation, the responsibility for protection cannot rest on children alone.
As efforts to raise awareness about sexual violence against children continue, the SVAC Coalition calls for coordinated action from all stakeholders:
Government and Regulators
The Government of Uganda, through Parliament and in collaboration with the Uganda Communications Commission, should strengthen legislation and regulations governing children’s engagement in digital spaces. This includes enforcing age-appropriate access to social media platforms and holding technology companies accountable for implementing robust safeguards against online exploitation, abuse, and other digital harms affecting children.
Parents and Caregivers
Parents and caregivers must equip themselves with knowledge and skills to protect children online, actively engage in their children’s digital lives, maintain open communication, and promote responsible and safe internet use.
Schools and Educational Institutions
Schools should strengthen digital literacy programmes, enhance online safety education, and ensure that computer systems are safeguarded through the blocking of harmful and suspicious websites.
Media Practitioners
Journalists, editors, and media managers should uphold ethical reporting standards when covering children’s issues by protecting identities, respecting privacy and dignity, and avoiding sensational reporting that may further stigmatize victims.
Security and Law Enforcement Agencies
Children who have experienced sexual violence should be treated primarily as victims in need of protection, care, and support. They should have access to rehabilitation services, psychosocial care, legal assistance, and opportunities for safe reintegration into society.
Conclusion
The digital transformation of society is irreversible, but the exploitation of children online is not. Protecting children in the digital age requires immediate, coordinated, and sustained action. The SVAC Coalition calls on government institutions, technology companies, civil society organizations, communities, parents, caregivers, and the media to work together to strengthen prevention efforts and build a robust child protection system that safeguards every child both online and offline.
The time to act is now—before more children are exposed to preventable harm.
