How lockdowns have intensified Australian kids' risk of being sexually exploited online.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and various lockdowns, we have all been guilty of overconsumption when it comes to technology. While social media platforms may leave us with tired eyes and feeling disconnected from reality, the side effects of increased technology use are proving much more severe for Australian children. Predators are using the pandemic and its lockdowns to take advantage of children as they spend more of their lives online.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commander of the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) and Child Protection Operations, Hilda Sirec says “at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Australian law enforcement officers saw sites hosting online child sexual abuse material crashing due to the increased volume of traffic.”

Photo provided by Unspalsh.

In the 2020-21 financial year, the ACCCE received more than 22,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation. To put this into perspective, in the year 2000, just before the world of Myspace kicked off our dependent relationship with social media, the eSafety Commissioner received just 201 reports of online child exploitation material.

This data could suggest that this enormous increase is from greater social media use alone, and that lockdowns have no association. However, in the pre-pandemic 2018-19 financial year the ACCCE received a much lower 14,000 reports of online child exploitation.

A spokesperson from the eSaftey Commissioner says Australia is not alone in this disturbing trend, with predators targeting children online amidst the pandemic being echoed internationally. The AFP say that “hundreds and thousands of Australian children and around the world, have been tricked or coerced into unwittingly producing sexualised videos.”

AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec says that Australian children as young as eight years old are being coerced into “performing live-streamed sexual acts by predators.”

She says often children become victims of sexual exploitation as predators pose as a similar age to the child. Graphic content then circulates the darknet as predators blackmail and threaten young victims into producing additional graphic content; this is known as the harmful cycle of ‘sexual extortion.’

An eSafety Commissioner spokesperson says they “see firsthand the results of children persuaded through online relationships to take risks and share intimate images.”

Lockdown’s impact

AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec says they typically see an increase in reports to the Child Protection Triage Unit during school holiday periods, often when children have more access to devices and are sometimes unsupervised.

She says they have seen elements of this reflected in children spending more time online during lockdown periods.

The eSaftey Commissioner says that the internet has “become supercharged during this pandemic, as the whole world was moved online to continue to work, learn and connect. Sadly, the harms have become supercharged too.”

AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec says offenders are “using COVID-19 restrictions as an opportunity to find more potential child victims.”

While last year sites hosting online sexual abuse material crash due to an increased volume of traffic, police have now identified an increase in the number of members in “COVID-19 themes forums.” Predators using online forums to discuss their tendencies towards the abuse of children in the COVID-19 environment.

“Offenders discuss tactics to groom victims, including sharing experiences, providing advice and exchanging ideas on how to establish relationships with children online,” says AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec.

She says these forums are on both the “dark and clear net.” Meaning, predators use mainstream social media apps with messaging and image/video sharing abilities, such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

The ACCCE says often offenders use direct messages as a “gateway” to initiate contact with a child, then directing them elsewhere, to platforms with easier image-sharing capabilities. Through this communication, children are manipulated into the self-production of child sexual exploitation material.

AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec says children often participate for various reasons including “experimenting with technology, curiosity, or in serious cases as a result of online grooming.”

What’s being done?

The ACCCE is attempting to debunk the public's perception that the pandemic is slowing down operational activity to protect children. AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec says protecting children remains a first priority.

“Since the beginning of COVID-19, the ACCCE and the AFP have intensified efforts for outreach, prevention and deterrence initiatives over concerns around increasing risk factors for online child sexual exploitation during Australia’s response to COVID-19.

“Our message to online offenders has not changed, if you procure, access and transmit child abuse material, you will be found, arrested and prosecuted,” she says.

With the 22,000 reports of online child abuse material received in the 2020-21 financial year, the AFP made 235 arrests and 2,772 charges. However, efforts go beyond prosecution and include education, myth busting, tips and advice and encouragement for parents to have conversations with their kids about online child sexual exploitation.

One program, led by the AFP, is the ThinkUKnow program. Providing education and resources for parents, carers, and teachers to prevent online child exploitation - including myths about online child sexual exploitation.

Screenshots from the ThinkUKnow website.

In an attempt to utilise the internet for some good, the ACCCE is using the second season of its Closing the Net podcast to offer tips and advice on how to keep kids safe online.

What can parents do?

According to research commissioned by the ACCCE, 52 percent of Australian parents and carers talk to their children about online safety. AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec says it is crucial that parents have these conversations with their children.

“Online child sexual exploitation can be a confronting topic for anyone, and may not be something parents and carers have considered as an issue that could affect their child. However, having these conversations is important,” she says.

She says we need to have conversations surrounding child sexual abuse online more generally, as is it often stigmatised and not well understood.

“By opening discussion, we reduce the stigma and build awareness. Survivors are more likely to seek support, and perpetrators will find it harder to hide.

“This is vital for preventing the crime from happening to our children,” says AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec.

The eSaftey Commissioner says that, while the data surrounding reports on online child abuse material can be overwhelming, there is “no cause for parents to panic.” Instead, parents should be more involved in their children’s online lives, just as you are in their everyday lives.”

In addition, the ACCCE suggests five main tips to help parents and carers keep their children safe online:

1. Supervision is essential.

“This means knowing what your children are doing online, who they are interacting with and what platforms, apps or games they are using.”

2. Have open conversations, often.

“The most important tip we can give any parent or carer is to start talking to your child about their online activities.”

3. Check privacy settings.

“We recommend parents and carers research and understand app settings, including privacy settings. This could include turning off location settings, setting profiles to private, or turning off chat functions.”

4. Be approachable if your child needs help.

“Coming forward isn’t always easy, and children may feel reluctant to tell you about online issues if they believe they will be punished or have their devices taken away.”

5. Know how to report.

“If something goes wrong online, it is crucial your child is supported. Parents and carers need to know how to take action.”

More broadly, to help the ACCCE and the AFP investigate leads on online child abuse cases, the public can help through the Stop Child Abuse-Trace an Object initiative.

“This initiative encourages members of the community to identify objects from the background of images and videos containing sexually explicit material involving children,” says AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec.

Established in August this year, the initiative is already proving successful in facilitating awareness and starting discussions about child sexual exploitation with more than 53,00 visits to the webpage resulting in 579 reports and several investigative leads.

“It [the Stop Child Abuse-Trace an object initiative] has resulted in several members of the public reporting their own abuse having seen the images online,” says AFP Commander, Hilda Sirec.

Resources for parents can be found at:

• https://www.accce.gov.au/resources and https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/parents-portal

• PartnerSPEAK: 1300 590 589

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800