The Work of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

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The Work of the Child Exploitation and Online
Protection Centre
Steve Lewis Training Team Coordinator
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This Session The Work of CEOP The Risk to
Children Online The Issue of Child Abuse Images
Online Working Together The Future
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We work in partnership to protect children and
young people from sexual exploitation from the
e-world to the real world
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Our Faculty Approach Harm Reduction Education,
training courses, public awareness, victim
identification (Childbase), International, Child
Trafficking. Intelligence Referrals Desk,
assessment, disseminations, offender management,
travelling offenders, missing offenders
Operations Forensics Unit, joint
investigations, financial desk (VISA), covert
capability (Undercover Ops Infiltrating Rings
etc.) We are affiliated to SOCA
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Some of the Risks to Children in this Environment
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Some of the Risks to Children in this
Environment Grooming by adults with a sexual
interest in children - using online technology in
order to build relationships with young people.
Chat areas, IM, SN sites, mobile
technology Children creating profiles of
themselves in the online environment which are
easily traceable. Social Networking Sites, Bebo
Facebook etc.\ Online Gaming Sites\ Virtual World
such as second Life
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• Grooming by adults with a sexual interest in
  children
• Online communities are now seen as acceptable
  ways of meeting friends / partners
• Diverse areas for communication
• Offenders manipulating their environment

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Definition of Grooming A course of conduct
enacted by a suspected paedophile, which would
give a reasonable person cause for concern that
any meeting with a child arising from the conduct
would be for unlawful purposes. (Sexual Offences
Act 2003)
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• Behaviour by child / young person which puts them
  at risk of abuse
• Children exploring their sexuality online,
  actively seeking relationships with adults /
  older children. Not aware that their online
  behaviour has offline consequences.
• - More young people meeting with cyber friends
  offline - 1 in 4 young people have met with
  someone who they first met online
• Self generated abusive images by young person for
  other children or for adults in return for
  remuneration.
• - What goes online usually stays online

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• Online child sexual abuse images -Operation
  Chandler Hella - case study
• Investigation commenced in Canada- undercover
  officers took control of chat room Kids the
  light of our lives
• Links to UK offender Son of God
• CEOP Suffolk Police commenced operation
• Son of God arrested

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• Chandler Hella
• 31 Children rescued
• 250 UK offenders identified
• Excellent example of International cooperation
  Canada Australia - UK

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Virtual Global Task Force UK, America, Canada,
Australia, Italy, New Zealand and Interpol
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• UK Egypt a case study
• 2002 UK National found in possession of indecent
  images of children, including Egyptian children.
• Imprisoned in 2002 and on release fled to Egypt
  to avoid arrest for indecent assault on his
  daughter
• Arrested in 2007 on his return from Cairo

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The Future Legislation to combat child
abuse Working together to share intelligence and
information Making every child matter
everywhere Thank You

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Thank you
Any questions? Steve Lewis Training Team
Coordinator t. 44 207 238 2312, e.
steve.lewis_at_ceop.gov.uk