“A Global Movement to
Protect Children”
The International Centre for Missing &
Exploited Children (ICMEC) is the leading
global service agency working to protect
the world’s children from exploitation and
abduction.
ICMEC Core Functions
 Works to combat child abduction and child
sexual exploitation globally
 Provides training and assistance to law
enforcement, legal professionals, NGOs, and
governments
 Advocates for changes in laws, treaties, and
systems to protect children worldwide;
 Promotes the creation of national centers
based on a public-private partnership model
 Leads a global financial coalition to eradicate
commercial child pornography
Global Campaign Against
Child Pornography
 Model Child Pornography Legislation
 Financial Coalition Against Child
Pornography
 Training and Technology
Scope of the Problem
Cyberspace is home to more than one
million images of tens of thousands of
children being subjected to sexual abuse
and exploitation.
(ECPAT International, Violence Against Children in Cyberspace)
200 new images of child pornography
are posted daily.
(Wortley and Smallbone, Child Pornography on the Internet)
Victims are getting younger
In 2009, of reports made to the Internet
Watch Foundation in the U.K.:
 72% of victims appeared to be children ages 10
or younger;
 23% appeared to be 6 years of age or younger;
 3% appeared to be 2 years of age or younger.
(Internet Watch Foundation, 2009 Annual and Charity Report)
A 2005 report out of the U.S. showed that
out of all arrested child pornography
possessors:
 83% had images of children ages 6 to 12;
 39% had images of children ages 3 to 5; and
 19% had images of infants and toddlers under
age 3.
(Janis Wolak et al., Child-Pornography Possessors Arrested in Internet-Related Crimes: Findings
from the National Juvenile Online Victimization Study, 2005)
•
Images are becoming more
graphic and violent
92% had images of minors focusing on
genitals or showing explicit sexual
activity;
•
80% had pictures showing the sexual
penetration of a child, including oral sex;
•
21% had child pornography depicting
violence such as rape, bondage, and
torture.
Most of these images involved children who
were gagged, bound, blindfolded, or
otherwise suffering sadistic sex.
Janice Wolak et al., Child-Pornography Possessors Arrested in Internet-Related Crimes: Findings from the National Juvenile
Online Victimization Study 5 (Nat’l Ctr. for Missing & Exploited Children ed., 2005)
Challenge
Laws in many countries are either nonexistent or woefully inadequate to
penalize those who seek to victimize
children through sexual exploitation or
abduction.
Model Legislation
Review of national legislation in place in
the 196 countries around the world to
gain a better understanding of existing
legislation and gauge where the issue
stands on national political agendas.
5 Questions Asked
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Does national legislation exist with specific regard to
child pornography?
Does national legislation define “child pornography”?
Does national legislation criminalize computerfacilitated offenses?
Does national legislation criminalize possession of
child pornography, regardless of the intent to
distribute?
Does national legislation require Internet Service
Providers (ISP) to report suspected child pornography
to law enforcement or to some other mandated
agency?
Results
 89 countries have no legislation at all
that specifically addresses child
pornography.
 An additional 62 countries have
insufficient child pornography
legislation.
Global Movement Since 2006
 19 countries have enacted legislation specifically
criminalizing – for the first time ever – child pornography
offenses
 23 countries have passed legislation defining the crime of
child pornography
 26 countries have enacted legislation criminalizing
computer-facilitated offenses
 27 countries have enacted legislation criminalizing the
simple possession of child pornography
 2 countries have enacted legislation mandating ISPs to
report suspected child pornography to law enforcement
Recommendations
 “Child” for the purposes of child pornography offenses is defined as
anyone under the age of 18, regardless of the age of sexual consent.
 The phrase “child pornography” is defined and that this definition
includes computer- and Internet-specific terminology.
 Offenses specific to child pornography are created within the
national penal code, including criminalizing the knowing possession
of child pornography, regardless of one’s intent to distribute, and
including provisions specific to downloading or viewing images on
the Internet.
 There are criminal penalties for parents or legal guardians who
acquiesce to their child’s participation in child pornography.
 Those who make known to others where to find child pornography
are penalized.
Recommendations
 Grooming provisions are included, which penalize online enticement
and the use of the Internet to entice, invite, or persuade a child to
meet for sexual acts, or to help arrange such a meeting.
 Attempt crimes are punished.
 Mandatory reporting requirements are established for healthcare
and social service professionals, teachers, law enforcement officers,
photo developers, information technology professionals, ISPs, credit
card companies, and banks.
 The criminal liability of children victimized by child pornography is
addressed. There should be no criminal liability for children involved
in pornography.
 Penalties for repeat offenders and organized crime participants are
enhanced, and other aggravated factors are considered upon
sentencing.
International Law
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and
Optional Protocols
• Council of Europe Cybercrime Convention (CETS
185)
• Convention on the Protection of Children Against
Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (CETS 201)
Thank you!
Caroline Humer
Program Director
International Centre for Missing &
Exploited Children (ICMEC)
Telephone: +1.703.838.8377
chumer@icmec.org
www.icmec.org