GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Guyana government today warned people here that they could face criminal charges if they continued to circulate inappropriate video content involving school-aged children on social media platforms

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, said the video images of the children in inappropriate acts have been brought to the attention of her ministry and that the first response was to stop their circulation.

She warned that circulating the videos constitutes a criminal offence, adding that the children involved will be given all the support and counselling needed.

She also urged parents, teachers and other stakeholders to get involved to help stop the circulation of the explicit videos and support the children.

The Director of Child Care Protection Agency (CPA), Ann Greene, reinforced that sharing the videos is a crime and urged people to delete them.

“You’re exposing the children, you’re putting them at a risk and you’re making them more vulnerable so it should stop. Yes you sent it to the authorities. We got it, we’re going to do something about it but please stop. We need to help our children,” Greene said

Greene said parents and children are being counselled “to let us understand what has happened, if these children were drugged and so on.

“We’re concerned and there is a lot of work to be done with our young people.”