Sexual exploitation on the Internet

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Sexual exploitation on the Internet
a presentation by ECPAT International Mattias
Bryneson Legal Consultant Asia-Pacific
Conference on Cybercrime and Information
Security,10-12 November 2002, Seoul, South Korea.
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Sexual exploitation of children on the Internet

• Internet brings great benefits but also risks to
  children
• One of the worst forms of cybercrime
• Global trade in child pornography
• Advertising channel for child sex tourism and for
  trafficking in children
• Online luring i.e. child sex abusers seeking
  contact with children online

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Child Pornography on the Internet

• International criminal investigations have
  revealed several global networks exchanging child
  pornography.
• Operation Wonderland 1998, 100 suspects in 12
  countries, 1 million images
• Operation Avalanche, 2001, 250.000 subscribers,
  grossed more than 5 million, 100 arrests in the
  U.S alone.
• Operation Landmark, 2001, 11.000 users, 400
  distributors, 130 search and arrest warrants
  issued in 19 countries.

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Online luring

• Internet opens doors to new ways for abusers to
  find children
• Chat-rooms popular with children and young people
• Abusers can hide their identity
• Minimal risk of detection

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Challenges for Asia-Pacific region

• Major growth area for Internet use
• Young people under 20 the fastest growing age
  group
• New technologies, broadband, mobile Internet,
  instant messaging, video conferencing, etc
• Weak legislation compared to Europe and the U.S.

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Actions against CSEC on the international level

• The Stockholm Declaration and Agenda for Action,
  adopted at the 1st World Congress against CSEC in
  1996
• The Yokohama Global Commitment, adopted at the
  2nd World Congress in 2001
• Coordination Cooperation, Prevention,
  Protection, Recovery Reintegration, Child
  Participation
• 159 states committed, including most ESCAP member
  states

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The East Asia-Pacific Commitment and Regional
Action Plan

• Key priorities for actions against CSEC on the
  Internet
• Develop better laws
• Increase national and international cooperation
  and sharing of information
• Increase awareness

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The international legal framework

• The Optional Protocol to the CRC on the sale of
  children, child prostitution and child
  pornography.
• Entered into force on 18 January 2002.
• Ratified by 36 states and signed by 76 states.
• Ratified by 7 states and signed by 14 states in
  Asia-Pacific.
• Includes a definition of child pornography and
  obligation for states to criminalise acts related
  to child pornography.
• The international legal standard for
  harmonisation of national laws

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Child pornography legislation in Asia-Pacific

• Some states in the region have introduced
  tri-partite child pornography legislation
• Some states have started the process of legal
  reform
• Most countries still rely on outdated legislation
  against obscenity unsuitable for sexual offences
  committed on the Internet
• Legal reform a key priority for the region

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Enforcement of laws against CSEC on the Internet

• Involve all stakeholders
• Government agencies, private Internet sector,
  NGOs and the general public
• Internet Hotlines to support the public in
  reporting offences on the Internet
• Close cooperation between ISPs and the police in
  dealing with illegal content
• Retention of historical data on Internet traffic
  to enable the police to track offenders after an
  offence is reported and as a general prevention
  measure

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Australias Online Services Act

• Innovative, co-regulatory approach
• Complaint based control function by a government
  agency
• Liability for ISPs if they fail to remove illegal
  content when notified
• Encourages ISP Codes of Conduct
• Close cooperation between regulator, ISPs, law
  enforcement agencies

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Enforcement of laws against CSEC on the Internet

• Special Police Units for Cybercrime and child
  pornography
• Sharing of expertise and information between
  countries in the region at the police level
• Participating in international operations
  coordinated by Interpol and regional police
  organisations
• Involve regional ISPs or ISP Associations

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Raising awareness

• Governments must make a clear public stand
  against sexual exploitation of children on the
  Internet
• Educate children, parents and others of the
  potential dangers for children on the Internet
• Promote and provide tools for safe use of the
  Internet
• ISPs and Internet Café operators are natural
  stakeholders in raising public awareness

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Good practices from the Asia-Pacific region

• www.kidsap.org, Internet Safety awareness website
  in Australia
• Child Safety on the Net project in Taiwan
  featuring E-baby and Mouseman
• ECPAT Internationals Safety Online Handbook

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Key priorities

• Legal reform to provide adequate protection for
  children
• Increase the cooperation between stakeholder to
  achieve effective enforcement of laws
• Increase the public awareness of the dangers
  facing children on the Internet

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• Contact information
• Mattias Bryneson
• mattias_at_ecpat.net
• www.ecpat.net