Police said it was recently been alerted to a video featuring high school students that is being shared through digital platforms. Photo: Internet Source/File

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) is issuing a stern warning to the public about the illegal circulation of explicit material involving minors. Photo: VINO/File

Police said it was recently been alerted to a video featuring high school students that is being shared through digital platforms.

The RVIPF emphasised that the possession, transmission, or distribution of such material is a serious criminal offence under the law.

Using a computer to “distribute, transmit, disseminate, circulate, exhibit, deliver [or] procure” child abuse material, which includes child pornography, is a serious crime under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act 2014.

Severe penalties 

Chief Inspector Kenrick Davis, head of the Criminal Investigations Department, also highlights that the 2025 amendment to the Act has expanded the definition of the term “computer” to include cellular telephones, digital video recorders, and closed-circuit television systems. This means that individuals who use their mobile cellular devices to share or store child abuse material are equally liable under the law.

The penalties for violations of this Act are severe:

• Summary Convictions (Magistrate’s Court): Offenders could face a fine of up to two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00) or seven (7) years imprisonment, or both.

• Indictment (High Court): Offenders could face a fine of up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) or up to fourteen (14) years imprisonment, or both.

Zero-tolerance policy

The RVIPF said it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy regarding child abuse material and will take uncompromising action against individuals who create, distribute, or engage with such content.

“We urge the public to act responsibly and refrain from sharing or possessing explicit content involving minors. Anyone found in violation of the law will be held accountable to the fullest extent,” DCI Davis stated.

The RVIPF encourages individuals who have received such material to refrain from circulating and delete the content. Parents, guardians, and educators are urged to have open discussions with young people about the dangers of engaging in or distributing explicit material.