3.3 Child sexual exploitation online - Recommendations
- Most self-generated sexualised images observed in sexual extortion and sexting seem to be produced through mobile phones and tablets. Cyber education should be implemented at schools from a very young age and adequate monitoring of children’s use of mobile devices and the Internet should be considered by parents. Minors need to be educated on the impact of online exposure. Nevertheless the recourse to control children’s access to the Internet should not be taken without consideration, as fear of being prevented access to the Internet might restrain children from confiding in their parents/adult supervisors.
- The implementation of reporting mechanisms such as ‘panic button’ apps in mobile devices or websites could be instrumental in increasing children’s reporting of abuse.
- Law enforcement should invest in capacity building to improve Live Data Forensic expertise and capabilities, namely to take into consideration factors such as the use of remote storage and the existence of encrypted containers in the offenders’ devices.
- Use of non-law enforcement mechanisms to report child abuse is of added value to increase the reporting of child sexual exploitation online and should be implemented or enhanced whenever possible.
- Law enforcement should dedicate resources to victim identification and investment in the broader adoption of best practices such as victim ID databases, taking into account the efforts undertaken by EC3 and Interpol in this field.
