Activity around the distribution of child sexual exploitation material online appears to be on the increase

While the entirety of online child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) cannot be measured directly,
there are several indicators that can be used to assess the scope of online CSEM and whether there
is an increase in the production and/or distribution of material. Europol will be monitoring the specific indicators below in the upcoming weeks to assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on online child sexual exploitation and support investigations.

1) The number of referrals from NCMEC/NCECC1

There does not appear to be a significant increase in

the number of referrals. However, this may be due to decreased manual moderation of platforms because of teleworking, latency in the reporting period, and the use of automatic systems to detect content online rather than a decrease in availability of CSEM.

2) Information from national law enforcement authorities on the number of searches being carried out online for CSEM

Countries have reported an increase in the number of attempts to access illegal websites featuring CSEM blocked in their filters.

3) The number of reports from the public to law enforcement or other institutions (hotlines)

Spain has noted a significant increase

in the number of complaints submitted by the public about CSEM online
since the beginning of March 2020 (Figure 1)2. From February to March 2020, there was an increase of 100 complaints compared to the previous month. Over more than three years, the number of monthly reports was higher on only two previous occasions.

Denmark has reported an increase in the number of attempts to access illegal websites featuring CSEM. The growth, from 18 sites searched to 55, represents a three-fold increase from one week to another. This is an indication of increased online offender activity or at least demand for CSEM online3.

4) The nature or volume of new posts on online forums dedicated to child sexual exploitation compared to established baselines

Isolated and ‘bored’ offenders are stating their increasing interest in image trading. In some countries, there has been an increase in adult offenders attempting to initiate contact with children via social media.

5) Conversations between criminals on forums

Discussions about the COVID-19 pandemic are already appearing on child sexual exploitation boards on the dark web. Users there indicate their anticipation that children are going to be spending an increased amount of time online, with references made to the Omegle application. Other users indicate they will have more time to download available material.