Pornography is a silent pandemic. It claims one victim at a time. Thanks to the Internet, the problem is very big. The internet was meant to be a tool of progress. A gateway to knowledge, resources, and progress. A means of connection. But like any tool, it has been hijacked by criminals who have turned it into a marketplace for exploitation.

Cyber pornography is one of the largest underground businesses online. It is a billion-shilling industry, fueled by demand, secrecy, and technology. The worst part? Much of it operates undetected, and when authorities catch on, the damage has already been done. In Uganda, it has taken new dimensions. It is growing and thriving.

This is not just about adult content. It is about abuse, blackmail, and the destruction of lives and families.

The bait and trap

In 2016, a young lady in her mid-20s walked into my office with her mother, shaking. She had a problem she didn’t know how to solve.

She had met a man online. At first, it was harmless casual conversations, a little flirting. Then he asked for photos. She sent a few. Nothing explicit, just innocent pictures. A few days later, the man turned a web camera and chatted. He asked the lady to also turn on her web camera and show him her body shape. Innocently, she did. Three days later, she received an email with screenshots of fake explicit images mixed perfectly with genuine ones. The man had morphed her photos into pornographic content. He gave her two options:

i) Pay him Ugx 5 million and he would delete everything.

ii) Refuse to pay, and he would send the images to her family, employer, and friends.

She hesitated. He followed through with his threats.

By the time she came to us, the images were circulating in WhatsApp groups. Her boss had seen them. Her church elders were whispering. She was contemplating leaving town.

She was the victim of sextortion, a rising cybercrime where criminals use fake or stolen explicit content to blackmail victims.

The dark web and the underground economy

The dark web is the underworld of the internet an unindexed part of the web where criminals trade illegal content, sell data, and conduct illicit transactions in total secrecy.

(i) Cyber pornography has a massive market here. Hidden behind encrypted browsers like Tor, criminals upload, sell, and distribute explicit content without fear of getting caught.

(ii) Many of these platforms operate as private marketplaces, requiring cryptocurrency payments for access. Users buy pre-recorded videos, stolen images, and live streams of abuse.

(iii) Some dark web forums even offer bounty programs, where members pay for explicit material of specific individuals often ex-lovers, celebrities, or even random victims.

(iv) Payment is almost always in Bitcoin or Monero, ensuring complete anonymity for buyers and sellers.

This is not pornography as most people understand it. It is organized exploitation, and it makes criminals millions.

The case that exposed the network

In 2019, police arrested a university student for running a revenge porn site. He had built a platform where people uploaded explicit images of their exes, classmates, and even strangers.

Users were encouraged to submit photos with names, phone numbers, and social media accounts. The victims would wake up to hundreds of calls from strangers, asking for sexual favors.

The site was earning money through advertising and premium memberships. Users who paid could access hidden folders with more graphic content.

The student running the site had never touched a victim or recorded a single video. He was making millions of stolen content.

How the case cracked open

(i) The first complaint came from a young lawyer who found her images on the site. She had no idea how they got there.

(ii) An undercover officer infiltrated one of the Telegram groups linked to the website. He posed as a buyer and gained access to the admin’s contacts.

(iii) The forensic team traced mobile money transactions linked to premium memberships. The suspect was cashing out through multiple SIM cards and bank accounts to avoid detection.

(iv) Police raided his hostel room, seized his laptop, and uncovered over 12,000 images of victims.

How criminals monetize cyber pornography

Cyber pornography is a business first, a crime second. Criminals have refined ways to turn explicit content into a steady stream of income.

(i) Subscription models. Many sites operate like Netflix, offering tiered memberships for access to exclusive content. The higher the tier, the more explicit the content.

(ii) Live streaming and pay-per-view. Users can request private live shows, where victims—often coerced or unaware are recorded and broadcasted in real-time.

(iii) Ransom schemes (sextortion) Victims are blackmailed into paying to remove their images. Some even pay multiple times, only to find the content remains online.

(iv) Content resale and trading. Stolen videos and images are sold repeatedly across different sites. A single image can be resold thousands of times across different platforms.

(v) Dark web bidding. Some groups allow members to place bids on exclusive or high-profile explicit material. This is common for leaked celebrity content or “revenge” content requested by buyers.

The money from these schemes flows through crypto wallets, digital gift cards, and offshore bank accounts, making it nearly impossible to trace.

The roadblocks to justice

Cyber pornography is difficult to fight because the law is slow, but technology moves fast.

(i) Anonymous platforms make it hard to track criminals. They use fake names, VPNs, and encrypted messaging services to hide their identities.

(ii) Many victims don’t report. They fear stigma, job loss, and social rejection. Some are forced to pay quietly, hoping the problem will go away.

(iii) Digital evidence disappears quickly. By the time authorities get a warrant, the content has moved to a new site or the criminals have deleted their accounts. Add the fact that the websites are hosted in different countries, which makes investigations very difficult.

(iv) Laws are outdated. Many cyber laws were written before the rise of encrypted messaging, AI-generated content, and the dark web, making prosecution difficult.

Lessons from the underground world of cyber pornography

(i) Your images are valuable. Never assume that because you haven’t taken explicit photos, you are safe. Criminals can create fake content from your ordinary pictures.

(ii) Never send intimate content online. Once it’s out there, you have lost control. Even if you trust the recipient today, you don’t know what they’ll do tomorrow. Never accept private web camera sessions with strangers or people you do not know very well. Once you notice the other person could be recording, stop the call immediately.

(iii) If you are a victim, don’t pay. Blackmailers never stop. If you give them money once, they will ask for more. Report immediately.

(iv) Governments need tougher cyber laws. Many countries lack clear regulations on digital sexual exploitation, making it hard to prosecute offenders.

Cyber pornography is not just a digital crime. It’s a human tragedy.

Behind every leaked photo, every revenge site, and every blackmail attempt is a ruined life, a broken family, and a victim struggling to survive.

The internet never forgets. Once your image is out there, it is forever. Protect yourself before it’s too late.

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