The Supreme Court has issued notice to internet majors Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook on a plea seeking curbs on sharing of videos related to sexual offences and cybercrime. A bench of justices M B Lokur and U U Lalit issued notice to these companies and sought their reply by 9th January on a plea by the NGO Prajwala seeking a defined place where one could report such rape videos and seek their blocking.<br/><br/>Advocate Aparna Bhatt, appearing for the NGO, said that rape videos are shot and posted on the social networking sites and the internet companies should take steps to curb such cybercrime. Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, representing the Centre, detailed the steps taken by Union home ministry<br/>and CBI which is the nodal agency for cybercrimes.<br/><br/>Mr Singh said that the debate over making public the names of sexual offenders is on in India and abroad and whatever decision is taken in this regard will be implemented. To this, the bench said that if the names of sexual offenders are to be made public then it should be done only after the conviction in the offence, not just after the case is lodged. The bench also directed that if a person is acquitted of a sexual offence, the CBI will not investigate him for the cybercrime aspect of the offence.<br/><br/>Pointing to National Crime Record Bureau statistics on a sharp rise in cases of sexual violence against children, the apex court asked the Centre to include in the list of measures for curbing crimes against women, the steps to protect children from sexual violence. The court was hearing a letter sent to then Chief Justice of India H L Dattu by Hyderabad-based NGO Prajwala along with two rape videos in a pen drive. It had taken suo motu note of<br/>the letter on the posting of these videos on 'WhatsApp' and had asked CBI to launch a probe forthwith to nab the culprits.