The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is to lead a multi-agency effort to counter child sexual exploitation and abuse online.
The Department will be joined by experts from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), Australian Federal Police (AFP), and Australian Transactions and Reporting Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).
“Child sexual exploitation shatters the life of the abused child and families, and communities are left devastated,” DHA said.
“Nowhere is this more explicit and increasing than online.”
Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Reece Kershaw said his Agency had received close to 17,000 reports of online child sexual abuse, with some reports containing thousands of images and videos of child abuse.
“As the severity of violence used against children is increasing, the age of victims is getting younger; the volume and dissemination of violent child abuse material is escalating; and we’re seeing the emergence of self-produced child sexual exploitation material,” Commissioner Kershaw said.
DHA said a new report to be released by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) would help in the fight to identify online predators.
“The AIC will release a new paper which, in the first of its kind, analyses data on payments that were likely made by Australians for child sexual abuse streaming based in the Philippines,” it said.
Chief Executive at AUSTRAC, Nicole Rose said working with the finance sector was a key component to countering online child exploitation.
“In recent years and as a result of partnering with industry, AUSTRAC has seen a 643 percent increase in suspicious matter reporting,” Ms Rose said.
“At the same time the sexual exploitation of children for financial gain has grown; and advancements in technology now make it possible for offenders to order, pay and view the live streaming of children being abused.”
She said collaboration across law enforcement and intelligence agencies was imperative in combatting child exploitation.