Child Exploitation Internet Unit

The Child Exploitation Internet Unit is a unit within the New South Police State Crime Command Child Protection and Sex Crimes Squad.

Mission of The Child Exploitation Internet Unit

To investigate child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation that is facilitated through the use of the Internet and related computer or telecommunication systems.

Roles and Responsibilities

• To proactively identify persons utilising the Internet to groom and procure children for the purposes of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation and to bring such offenders to justice.
• To investigate persons utilising the Internet and related computer or telecommunication devices to groom and procure children for sexual abuse and exploitation and to bring such offenders to justice.
• To investigate the production, dissemination and possession of images of child sexual exploitation (Child Pornography) that is facilitated by use of the Internet and related computer or telecommunication devices.
• Coordinate the NSW Police response to matters relating to child sexual exploitation referred from external law enforcement agencies.
• Provide assistance to other police in respect to specialist advice and technical support relating to the investigation of crimes facilitated through the use of the Internet and related computer or telecommunications devices.
• Provide limited assistance relating to forensic examination of computers and related systems used for the purposes of facilitating child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.
• Establish, develop and maintain professional networks with other State, National and International Law Enforcement bodies and external agencies involved in the investigation of computer facilitated sexual crimes and sexual exploitation of children.
• To assist with community awareness and education with regard to the safe use of the Internet and the protection of children from internet facilitated sexual exploitation.

Contacting The Unit

The unit does not take calls directly from members of the public. Matters in the first instance should be directed through your local police station or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
Email: ceiu@police.nsw.gov.au

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is child pornography?

A. The Child Exploitation Internet Unit along with other Law Enforcement Agencies and organisations dealing with the protection of children both within Australia and overseas do not generally refer to this type of material as child pornography.  They refer to this material as child sexual exploitation material.  It is material that contains images of real children being sexually exploited at the point the image or movie is produced, they are crime scene pictures and should be considered in this fashion.

The definition of child pornography is contained within the NSW Crimes Act Section 91H (1).

The Commonwealth legislation also has a definition of child pornography for use with any Commonwealth offences.  Please click on the link for this definition:  Definition of Child Pornography – Commonwealth.

Q. What is the current NSW legislation concerning child pornography?

A. It is an offence to produce, disseminate or possess child pornography. These offences are detailed in the NSW Crimes Act Section 91H.  For the purpose of this Act a child is someone who is under 16 years of age.

Q. What about child pornography over the Internet?

A. It is an offence to access, transmit, publish, distribute, possess, supply or produce child pornography or child abuse material through a carriage service. The Internet is a carriage service.

For the purpose of these offences a child is someone who is under the age of 18 years.

Q. I have just received an email containing either child pornographic material or links to child pornography websites (usually Spam Emails) on my computer. What should I do?

A. Do not open any attachments associated with the email or click on any links.  It should be reported in the first instance to the Australian Communications & Media Authority [ACMA].

To access the ACMA website click on the following link: http://www.acma.gov.au

Q. What is ‘online procuring and grooming’?

A. Online Procuring is where an adult contacts a child online (usually via the Internet) and by the words and actions during this contact encourage, entice, recruit or induce the child to engage in sexual activity. Online Grooming is conducted in a similar fashion and is often a preliminary step to procuring, where the adult through the words and actions attempt to lower the child’s inhibitions regarding sexual activity or heighten their curiosity by sending pornographic material or talking about sexual matters.

Q. How does ‘online procuring and grooming’ work?

A. The online contact usually occurs in on line chat rooms. Adults with an established sexual interest in children will frequently go to chat rooms that are known to be popular with children (e.g. Yahoo & MSN). They will generally attempt to keep up to date with all the latest fashions in clothes, music and sport so they can either pass themselves off as another child or as an adult who is in tune with children's interests. The adult might identify a younger, more naive or vulnerable child in a chat room, and he will make them the focus of his attention. He will try to be their 'special friend'.

The initial contact may quickly move from an open, public or semi-public chat room, to a private chat room, then onto email, to SMS text messaging via mobile phones, instant messaging, and then to direct voice contact via a fixed or mobile phone, or even by voice over the internet. Eventually the adult may try to organise a face-to-face meeting with the child.

Online ‘groomers’ often use child pornography to ‘groom’ the child, it is shown to lower the child’s inhibitions concerning sexual activity and to generate conversation regarding such activity.

Q. What do I do if my child is being procured or groomed by someone over the internet?

A.  Call your local police as soon as possible and report the matter to them.  Do not delete or remove anything from the computer.

Information and advice about protecting children on line, including a free downloadable internet content filter can be obtained from NetAlert. To access the NetAlert website click on the following link: http://www.netalert.gov.au