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<strong>Child</strong> PornograPhy First report oF the Dutch NatioNal rapporteur
child abuse material. 59 Current (high-tech) innovations that hamper the detection of such material, 60
such as encryption, 61 cloud computing, 62 (pre-paid) smart phones and free Wi-Fi, 63 will ultimately also
become accessible to low-tech users. Such innovations are used by billions of people all over the world.
The drawback is that individuals with harmful intentions can also use technology now and in the future
in order to achieve their purpose.
Digital child abuse material and ICT as an opportunity
Technology not only presents a challenge due to the fact that individuals discover new ways of
displaying deviant behaviour, but also creates opportunities for academia and organisations involved
in preventing and tackling child pornography. Those opportunities lie in the digital material
itself on the one hand, and in the technology used in order to produce, distribute and/or view on
the other hand.
- As far as tackling child pornography is concerned, the material can provide proof that abuse
has taken place. In the case of babies and toddlers, it may even be the only proof that a form
of sexual violence has taken place. Other digital data, such as chatroom conversations, links
to websites, etc., may indicate that sexual violence against children has taken place or is in a
preparatory stage. 64 Individuals also leave data behind in cyberspace that can form a digital
profile. All of these digital signals provide potential information concerning the (identity of)
perpetrators and victims. 65
- ICT can also make a contribution in the prevention of sexual violence against children. Potential
perpetrators and victims are both active in cyberspace. This means, for example, that information
concerning sexual violence against children can be provided by the government through
digital channels, and that ICT and its users can make a contribution towards increasing the
physical and social safety of these digital channels.
59 Taylor & Quayle, 2003, p.199.
60 We know for example that users of child abuse material have ever greater expertise and use concealment
methods (such as encryption) in order to remain undetected. For example, it is possible in certain
publicly-accessible environments (such as chatrooms, auction sites and peer-to-peer (p2p) networks)
to communicate in private (Van der Hulst & Neve, 2008, p.43; Solum, 2009, p.54).
61 By encrypting information, unauthorised users can be prevented from accessing that information. In
practice, the public key encryption method is mainly used in encryption. KLPD – <strong>National</strong> Crime Squad,
2010, p.196 (not publicly available).
62 ‘Cloud’ refers to the storage and processing of data via the Internet. In the cloud model, data and computing
capacity are available online without it being possible to know where the data are stored and
which computers are carrying out the computation. The physical location of storage and computing
capacity varies and is not relevant within the cloud model. KLPD – <strong>National</strong> Crime Squad, 2010, p.194
(not publicly available).
63 GOVCERT, 2010.
64 See Vrijwilliger Kaatsheuvel gepakt voor kinderporno [Volunteer in Kaatsheuvel arrested for possession of child abuse
images] Eindhovens Dagblad, 9 August 2011, available at www.ed.nl/regio/eindhovenregio/9263533/
Vrijwilliger-Kaatsheuvel-gepakt-voor-kinderporno.ece (viewed 10 August 2011).
65 See for example Melanie had eerder gered kunnen worden [Melanie could have been saved sooner], De Telegraaf,
5 July 2011, available at: www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10141960/_Melanie_eerder_gered_kunnen_worden_.html
(viewed 9 August 2011).