INTERPOL’s specialist Crimes against Children team connects with police in over 70 countries to prevent and investigate online child sexual abuse. We are now seeking to build a coalition of partners and apply state-of-the-art technology to taking this essential work even further.
INTERPOL’s work to protect children from abuse and exploitation online is underpinned by our Preventing the Cycle of Harm Programme, supported by the Human Dignity Foundation.
At the core of the Programme is our International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database, a pioneering intelligence and investigation tool launched in 2009 that allows specialized investigators around the world to analyze and share data and so identify both child victims and their abusers.
Now, to keep pace with technological change and ensure ICSE continues to drive our expert analytical approach, we are seeking to work with new partners and build a coalition to make our transnational response to online child sexual abuse even stronger. On January 14, representatives of our Crimes against Children unit and the Human Dignity Foundation will meet with a range of partners at a Donor Engagement Forum at INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon, France.
The event will be an opportunity to outline our plans to develop a state-of-the-art ICSE New Generation database. Modular and scalable, it will integrate purpose-engineered artificial intelligence systems and allow more INTERPOL member countries to connect and share data . “More countries connecting means more identifications and that in turn can lead to more successful outcomes in investigations and prosecution,” says Mark Beavan, Head of the Crimes against Children unit. “We are committed to protecting as many children as possible and we look forward to working with current and future partners to achieve that.”