Three arrested in connection with international child sexual abuse material investigation

The Ghana Police Service has arrested three Ghanaians following a joint international investigation involving the Australian Federal Police and Interpol. The arrests are for their alleged involvement in the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

The arrests are linked to an ongoing child exploitation case involving an Australian suspect currently standing trial in Australia. Interpol Accra received intelligence in January 2026 from Interpol Canberra and the Crimes Against Children Unit of the Interpol General Secretariat concerning a child exploitation case connected to Ghana. The Australian suspect arrested in 2025 had allegedly received child sexual exploitation material from individuals based in Ghana. The Australian authorities requested assistance from the Ghana Police Service to rescue the victims and arrest the suspects. Two suspects were arrested in the Ashanti Region, and two children aged between seven and 13 years were rescued. Police later arrested a third suspect in the Bono Region, where two more victims aged six and seven years were rescued. According to Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the suspects were arrested for allegedly taking, producing, publishing and processing indecent images and videos involving children. She also warned that cyber-enabled child exploitation crimes are increasing due to the ease with which offenders commit such crimes, the difficulty in detecting them, and the financial gains involved.

All three suspects remain in police custody assisting with investigations, while the rescued children are currently receiving care from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in their respective regions. The Abuse Relief Corps is also supporting DOVVSU with counselling and other care services for the children. Preliminary investigations suggest some of the suspects are close relatives of the victims, including an older brother and a mother responsible for the children's care. Commissioner Donkor assured the public that the Ghana Police Service is strengthening collaboration with international partners and stakeholders to tackle child exploitation