Sabina was nine when a man from her neighbourhood began to sexually abuse her. The man lured her under the pretext of showing her a mobile phone, Sabina, now 17, recalled to the Post recently. Sabina, who lives in Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City, added she had never imagined that someone she had known since childhood would behave that way. He was the father of a close friend, and she regarded him as a father figure. Living nearby meant frequent visits, and she addressed him as “uncle”, seeing him as a guardian.

“When I went to my friend’s house to play, uncle would call me into his room—sometimes asking me to bring a key, sometimes offering to show me something on his phone,” said Sabina, who the Post is identifying with a pseudonym to protect her privacy. “I didn’t know what was happening to me was wrong. Later, his touch began to feel inappropriate and uncomfortable. When I resisted, he would say, ‘You are like my daughter, why be shy?’ and continue touching my private parts. I began to fear him and started avoiding him.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, when schools were closed, mobile phones were used extensively for online classes, and Sabina also received one. But she said she never imagined the phone would put her at greater risk.

“My family bought me a phone for online classes,” she said. “At that time, my sister created a Facebook account for me. Uncle also sent me a friend request. He told me he had sent a request and asked me to accept it. I accepted it out of fear rather than choice.”

He then began constantly messaging and calling her. “He would call even at night, and if I didn’t answer, he would come to my house and scold me,” she said. He also began sending obscene videos and messages. When she asked him to stop, he instead threatened her.

Sabina said she was raped when she was 13. “When I was in Grade 8, uncle called me to his house under the pretext of bringing a key,” she said. “When I went, no one was home. He took me into a room, locked the door, forced me onto the bed, removed my clothes, and covered my mouth when I tried to scream.”

Sabina added, “He threatened me, saying if I shouted, he would kill me and bury me there. Tears were rolling down my face, but no sound came out. He raped me under threat and warned me not to tell anyone.”

The abuse continued afterwards. He kept calling and messaging, asking her to show her private parts, demanding nude photos and videos, and threatening her if she refused. “He would send me explicit videos on Messenger and ask me to do the same,” she said. “He would come to my house when no one was there and force himself on me. I was too afraid to tell anyone. Whenever he came, I would hide in my mother’s room.”

Sabina finally spoke out after being raped again at 14. “In April 2025, he again raped me when no one was home and threatened to kill me,” she said. “I gathered courage and told a friend two months later. My friend informed a teacher. The teacher encouraged me, saying such matters should not be hidden. Three months later, I filed a complaint at the Area Police Office in Dharan.”

Khadga Bahadur Kerung is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence in Jhumka after the Sunsari District Court convicted him of rape.

With the growing use of social media, its negative impacts have become increasingly evident. A study by Voice of Children, a civil organisation, shows a rise in online exploitation, particularly targeting girls. According to research under its Cyber Safety Project, 122 girls in Sunsari alone have fallen victim to various forms of exploitation through social media over the past four years.

The organisation says platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram expose girls to emotional, sexual and financial exploitation. In many cases, perpetrators first build trust, propose romantic relationships and later resort to blackmail.

Sixteen-year-old Jhuma from Itahari became a victim after accepting a stranger’s proposal online. She was studying in Grade 12 when she connected with an unknown person on Facebook.

“I received a friend request from a Facebook ID named Abinash,” said Jhuma, also a pseudonym. “He looked good from his profile, so I accepted it. We started talking. As we talked more, he proposed, and I accepted.”

They planned to meet. Initially, they agreed to meet in a park, but at his insistence, they met in a hotel.

“I said we shouldn’t meet in a hotel,” she said, “but he emotionally blackmailed me, saying I didn’t love or trust him.”

When she entered the room, two other men were already present. “I got very scared,” she said. “When I said I wanted to go home, he forced me to stay, saying they were his friends.

“They grabbed me, removed my clothes, covered my mouth, and all three raped me.”

She later told a friend, who informed a social worker, and she filed a complaint with the police.

Today’s world is shaped by digital technology. Social media has transformed lifestyles. But it also has negative effects, particularly on children, especially girls. According to Prakash Maite of Voice of Children, while proper use can provide knowledge, skills and opportunities, excessive use can lead to addiction and serious problems.

He added that many girls included in the study were unable to disclose incidents of abuse to family members or authorities. Social stigma, shame and threats from perpetrators often force victims into silence.

Maite said the main causes include a lack of digital literacy among children, weak parental supervision and insufficient knowledge about safe internet use. “Children are quickly adapting to technology, but they lack adequate awareness about its safe use,” he said. “Another issue is the lack of parental monitoring, which leaves children vulnerable to abuse without even realising it.”

Fourteen-year-old Maya (name changed) from Itahari-5 was studying in Grade 10. Her parents bought her a mobile phone for online classes and studies. Initially, she used it for educational purposes, but gradually her attention shifted to platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

Her father worked as a labourer. Her mother also worked outside the home. With both parents busy, she lacked supervision. After school, she stayed home alone. At first, she watched videos occasionally. Gradually, entertaining videos, dances and friends’ posts attracted her. She began seeking likes, comments and followers, and started communicating with strangers.

According to Maya’s parents, she had already developed a phone addiction. She would talk to anyone—friends and strangers alike—send friend requests and post photos on TikTok.

Within a few months, her lifestyle changed completely. She began using her phone late into the night and chatting with people on Facebook for hours. One day, a stranger asked her to meet. She lied to her family, saying she was going to meet a friend, and went out. “That stranger called me to a hotel in Itahari and proposed a sexual relationship,” she said. “I accepted the proposal without much hesitation.”

The man had lured her with promises of buying her a new phone and new clothes. Four months later, her abdomen began to grow noticeably larger than usual. When neighbours became suspicious, her mother started questioning her. A medical check-up, including an ultrasound, confirmed she was four months pregnant.

“I felt completely shattered,” Maya’s mother said. “Hearing that my 14-year-old daughter was pregnant left me feeling neither alive nor dead.” She added that fear of facing society on one hand, and anxiety over her daughter’s future on the other, left her mind completely blank.

“If I had given my daughter more time and kept a closer watch on her, this day might not have come,” she said. “Now I have nothing left but regret.”

In today’s digital age, social media has become an integral part of children’s daily lives. While it is useful for online classes, entertainment and communication, excessive use is increasingly turning into addiction and enabling serious crimes such as online sexual abuse, cyberbullying and blackmail, said social activist and advocate Premkala Rai. Social media is affecting children’s physical, mental and social development.

Through platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and WhatsApp, girls are exposed to risks of emotional, sexual and financial exploitation. Rai said such platforms are also being used to facilitate serious crimes like human trafficking under the guise of romance, job offers, attractive salaries and networking businesses.

She emphasised the need to understand how addiction develops among children. Likes, comments and notifications on social media trigger dopamine release in the brain, creating a sense of pleasure. This encourages repeated phone use, gradually forming a habit that can go out of control, leaving children engaged with screens for hours.

To address this issue, the role of parents, teachers and society is crucial. Stakeholders say parents should limit children’s screen time, engage them in alternative activities such as sports, studies and creative work, and create an environment for open communication. Schools should also provide education on digital literacy and responsible use, Rai added.

Voice of Children has stressed the need for strict enforcement of cybercrime laws, digital safety education from the school level and awareness programmes for parents. “Children must protect their personal information while using online platforms, avoid interacting with strangers, and immediately inform a trusted person if they face any problem,” Maite said. “Unless timely awareness is raised, more children could fall victim to exploitation. Social media carries not only opportunities but also serious risks.”