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Implementation
The authors of the Korpsmonitor 2009 290 concluded in general that in the majority of regions, the child
pornography investigation process has been configured in such a way as to keep the influx of cases under
control. Police forces do not examine all the images that are found to check whether they contain indications
that may possibly lead to a conviction. It is usually sufficient to examine the number of images
that is sufficient for the purpose of securing a possible conviction. This method of working limits the
likelihood of finding victims, and the producers and distributors are not identified. 291 The sex offence
investigators are, of course, not tasked with tackling child pornography alone; this area forms only a
part of the full range of cases dealt with by a (youth and) sex offences division. 292
Supraregional Crime Squad Teams
Since 2004 the supraregional crime squad teams (BRTs) have been tackling serious forms of crime that
extend beyond the jurisdiction of a regional police force. The BRTs take the form of joint partnerships
between (two or more) neighbouring forces. Since 2009, four BRTs have been (partly) run by the BR-NON
for two years and have been deployed in the reduction of pending cases of child pornography in conjunction
with the regional police forces. 293 The reason for this was to settle the dozens of cases known as
‘Astral’, which involved downloaders who had purchased child abuse material using their credit cards. 294
Only part of a BRT is concerned with tackling child pornography. The regions that form part of the BRT
seconded three digital domain investigators and two child pornography investigators, who continue to
work at their place of work within the region.
It emerged from the Korpsmonitor 2010 that the BRTs have little expertise in relation to sex offence cases
and/or child pornography cases, and that they make use of support from sex offence investigators from
the regional police forces in cases of this type. 295 Searching for victims does not form part of the procedure,
and this has been a conscious policy choice. These teams were allegedly continuing to be deployed
until the strategy to tackle child pornography (and its focus) were organised at a national level in order
to change the way in which pending cases are managed. 296 The BRTs will no longer focus upon tackling
child pornography in the future. 297
Team High-Tech Crime of KLPD NR
The Team High-Tech Crime (THTC) of the <strong>National</strong> Crime Squad (NR), which forms part of the <strong>National</strong>
Police Services Agency (KLPD), is involved at a national level in conducting criminal investigations into –
and implementing measures to tackle – high-tech crime, especially that which is associated with serious,
organised crime and innovative forms of high-tech crime or incidents with a significant international
element. 298 The term ‘high-tech crime’ refers to cases under investigation that pose a threat to a vital
290 Programme of Improvements in Tackling <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong>, 2009.
291 Programme of Improvements in Tackling <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong>, 2009.
292 Reports from the coordinators’ consultation, February 2011. See also Parliamentary Papers II 2010/11, 32
500 VI, no. 75, p.28.
293 Minister of Security and Justice, Progress Report on tackling child pornography, 4 March 2011.
294 See www.om.nl/onderwerpen/verkeer/@153755/bovenregionale/ (viewed 23 August 2011).
295 Programme of Improvements in Tackling <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong>, 2011.
296 Minister of Security and Justice, Progress Report on tackling child pornography, 4 March 2011.
297 Parliamentary Papers II 2010/11, 32 500 VI, no. 102.
298 Van der Hulst & Neve, 2008.
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