Between 24 and 28 June 2024, Europol hosted an operational sprint targeting buyers of live distant child abuse material. The sprint brought together representatives from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. During the sprint, 32 investigators processed and developed leads generated from investigations of United States Homeland Security Investigations (US HSI) into criminal networks sexually exploiting children in the Philippines. The investigators analysed tens of thousands of child sexual exploitation images and videos, along with over 10 million lines of online conversations between approximately 12 000 unique criminal customer accounts and 100 seller accounts. The operational sprint resulted in the production of information packages, which may lead national authorities of 24 countries to 197 buyers of live distant child abuse.

Global coalition to identify the networks behind live-streamed child sexual abuse

The information analysed during the sprint came specifically from operations against those who produce and distribute child sexual exploitation material through live-streaming platforms. The sprint allowed investigators to learn and collaborate in person, turning raw data into actionable information in real-time.

The investigators gathered during the operational sprint worked on huge volumes of data, which had been generated over 12 years. As each criminal buyer and trafficker is arrested, their digital footprint - such as chats, transaction data, location data, and IP addresses - is used to investigate more trafficking networks and rescue more children. The one-week operational sprint at Europol aimed at identifying criminal buyers around the globe who use live-streaming platforms to pay traffickers to abuse children. Some of the abused children are believed to be as young as three to four years of age.

Live-streamed child sexual abuse is a growing industry, involving child traffickers in the Philippines and elsewhere who curate a vetted customer base of buyers who pay to watch the live-streamed abuse of children. Criminal buyers direct child traffickers to perform acts of sexual abuse on minor children in real-time during private webcam interactions. Customers also travel to the Philippines to engage in the hands-on abuse of victimised children themselves. Abuse happens over encrypted connections, leaving little digital evidence, which created serious difficulties for investigators targeting child abuse online.

With traffickers and victims in one country and criminal buyers living around the world, cooperation between national authorities is crucial to combat online child abuse. Europol hosted the sprint at its Headquarters in The Hague, facilitated the information exchange, and provided analytical support.

The US HSI operations have been supported by the Child Rescue Coalition, the Tim Tebow Foundation, and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.