Computer Facilitated Crimes Against Children International Law Enforcement Training

Transcription

1 Computer Facilitated Crimes Against Children International Law Enforcement Training The Computer Facilitated Crimes Against Children training seminar was designed to provide law enforcement around the world with the tools and techniques needed to investigate Internet related child exploitation cases. Training Overview The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) launched the international training initiative on Computer Facilitated Crimes Against Children in December 2003 at Interpol Headquarters in Lyon, France. This training program was created to provide basic investigative tools, techniques, and resources to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and other specialists in the area of crimes against children from all over the world. A total of 3,219 students from 113 countries participated at 36 trainings worldwide. Training was free to participants, and scholarships were granted on an as needed basis to cover travel expenses. Although this particular series now has ended, ICMEC continues to explore avenues for interaction and collaboration with the people and organizations that benefited from training. Training Curriculum A curriculum was developed focusing on the victimization of children and international case studies. Instructors from Australia, India, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States emphasized training techniques for forensic examiners, online investigators, and prosecutors that have aided in the investigation and resolution of Internet related crimes against children. The four day seminar, which ICMEC conducted in conjunction with Microsoft and Interpol, included the following modules: Computer Facilitated Exploitation of Children; Conducting the Online Child Abuse Investigation; Managing the Law Enforcement Response to Computer Facilitated Crimes Against Children; Technical Aspects of the Investigation; and Tools and Techniques for the Prosecutor. Computer Facilitated Exploitation of Children dynamics and problems encountered in sexual abuse investigations; types of sexual abuse cases; offender typology and its application to the investigation; and types of computer facilitated crimes committed against children. 1

2 Conducting the Online Child Abuse Investigation evolution of online crimes; seduction techniques; child abuse victim issues and disclosure; interviewing the online child abuse victim; evidence and corroborating the online crime; identification of additional victims; identifying the characteristics of the online child abuser; and child molester collections. Managing the Law Enforcement Response to Computer Facilitation Crimes Against Children challenges and issues arising from the management of complex investigations, both national and international; law enforcement techniques and forensic examination issues; need for speedy assessment and the identification and prioritization of investigations and actions; human rights, data protection, and national laws; implications of harmonized legislation, extradition attitudes, and consequences of intelligence exchange; and implications of global principles for continuity of evidence and computer forensics, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT), and dual criminality considerations. Technical Aspects of the Investigation fundamentals of not only the technologies used to exploit children, but also how these same technologies can be used to successfully investigate crimes committed against children; case examples and studies from a technical perspective; how the Internet works (i.e., use of IP addresses and communications using TCP/IP); tools and techniques (i.e., trace and identify the source of Internet traffic, operating systems utilities, NetScan tools, Neotrace, Visualroute, and Languard Network Analyzer); and evidence collection and analysis (i.e., crimes scene awareness, search warrant planning and execution, proper methods of collecting and safeguarding digital evidence). Resources and Guest Speakers During this block of instruction: subject matter experts from industry (i.e., credit card companies, ISPs, technology companies) addressed how to best utilize their services in an investigation; and participants learned about local and regional safety and prevention programs and agencies. Success Stories Through speaking with in country training coordinators and surveying articles of interest in various media outlets, we have learned of several successes. Overall, the training program has provided a valuable forum for exchanging ideas and experiences. Information sharing between and among trainers and participants has also assisted in creating global linkages between law enforcement agencies. Over the 2

3 course of the training, participants are not only exposed to the magnitude of Internet related crimes against children, but they are also given the necessary tools to investigate and prosecute offenders. The trainings have been a great success and will continue to provide more tools to law enforcement across the world to help keep children safer. Argentina The Crimes Against Children Division of the Argentinean Federal Police is composed of prosecutors and law enforcement officers throughout Argentina. Its primary focus is on finding missing children and investigating claims of child abuse, including online crimes against children. The Division works very close with ICMEC, and is part of the Global Missing Children s Network. Representatives from the Division have participated at several of the ICMEC trainings, including the following: Brasilia, Brazil (April 2004) Buenos Aires, Argentina (August 2005; hosted by the Division) Panama City, Panama (May 2007) Lima, Peru (November 2007). Following the training in Argentina, the Federal Police conducted a 15 month investigation into a child abuse ring, led by Jorge Corsi, a psychologist practicing in the area of family violence. The ring operated out of at cybercafés in the Recoleta and Barrio Norte districts of Buenos Aires. Corsi and others would invite children (between the ages of 14 and 16) to view pornographic websites and would then ask the children to join them at secret parties. At these parties, moving and still images involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of these children were recorded and uploaded to various Internet sites. The children were paid with clothes, video games, and digital cameras. The abusers ranged from 30 to 40 years of age. On 24 July 2008, Corsi and three other suspects were arrested on charges of child abuse and molestation. Australia The training in Wellington, New Zealand in November 2005 was attended by 96 law enforcement officers. A law enforcement officer from the Western Australia Police was so impressed by the training that when she returned to Australia, she set out to establish a specific department to deal with Internet crimes against children. Prior to the training, the Western Australia Police already had a child protection squad dealing with sexual and physical abuse of children. A law was passed to allow law enforcement to investigate offenses for procuring children under the age of 16 and to proactively investigate online enticement. A team of investigators was put in place at the end of 2005 with the help of an IT expert. Work began in April Since that time, 30 individuals have been arrested within the territory of Western Australia alone. The team is also involved with protection issues and participates in forums for parents and expos within their territory. They await the passage of a law that would allow them to investigate peer to peer and newsgroup offenses. 3

4 Hong Kong The November 2004 Hong Kong training has assisted law enforcement officers from Hong Kong to better understand crimes against children. While there have not been many cases in Hong Kong since the training, the officers have the skills necessary to investigate such cases as they arise. Law enforcement has established sophisticated forensic and technology crime investigation units that can support any kind of investigation. Law enforcement from Hong Kong continues to attend the training course in other locations around the world. India Sebastian Edassery is an Inspector and Head of the IT and Cyber Crime Training Division of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Academy in New Delhi. He is responsible for the effective implementation of training policy for Investigating Officers, Supervisory Officers, and law enforcement officers from CBI and state police units throughout India. ICMEC sponsored Sebastian to attend (as a student) the training held in Dalian, China in The training was organized by ICMEC and the Chinese Ministry of Interior. Following his participation at the training in China, Sebastian was instrumental in organizing a similar training in New Delhi in conjunction with the CBI Academy, which took place in January Microsoft India immediately identified Sebastian s expertise and invited him to participate at several advanced hands on trainings throughout India and the region that were aimed at training the trainers. Following the training in New Delhi, Sebastian incorporated a curriculum into the new officers training course throughout India focusing on crimes against children. In April 2007, ICMEC organized a training in Doha Qatar at which Sebastian was invited to participate as an instructor. Similarly, in July 2008 Sebastian participated as an instructor at the training held in Cairo, Egypt. Jordan Since the June 2005 training in Amman, Jordanian law enforcement has been very active in increasing their capacity to address computer facilitated crimes against children. Jordanian law enforcement has also been working closely with Save the Children Denmark to build awareness of family protection issues. They have held numerous workshops and roundtables with NGOs, Internet Service Providers, and Internet café owners to help educate the public. Through the workshops, law enforcement has built a strategic working group and plan of action not only for Jordan but also for neighboring countries. The Jordanian government is working to create new laws pertaining to crimes against children. Cooperation and coordination with Interpol and INHOPE (to create a hotline) has also increased. Jordan law enforcement has sent numerous officers to the training program and is trying to establish their own course in the future. New Zealand The Wellington training in November 2005 produced greater awareness of computer facilitated crimes against children, thereby enabling an increased understanding of and willingness to respond to both international and locally generated investigations. Recently the New Zealand Police, the Department of Internal Affairs, and New Zealand Customs finalized two national operations where related search warrants and enquires were carried out across the country, resulting in a large number of arrests and 4

5 charges. Child victims were rescued and identified and one young girl was saved before she was about to be abused. Russia In September 2005, Russian law enforcement attended the training in Moscow and acquired an understanding of the process of investigating crimes against children. In February 2007, a Russian court sentenced 4 individuals to 4 to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of slavery and production of child pornography. A fifth person was found guilty of raping a minor and received a 12 year sentence. South Africa In 2004, South Africa set up a child pornography hotline for the public and in 2005, the South African Film and Publication Board (FPB) and the Ministry of the Interior sponsored a National Conference Against Child Pornography. The conference resulted in the creation of an action plan to build awareness in libraries and schools of the growing issue of child pornography. The Minister of the Interior created a Ministerial Task Team to advise him on how to combat crimes against children. FPB has assisted in many working groups and conferences, including Microsoft s one day Internet Safety conference in April The South African Police Service has participated in child pornography sting operations targeting specific areas of South Africa. In May 2006, they arrested 6 individuals in the Cape region for possession of child pornography. Spain The April 2005 training in Madrid was coordinated by the National Central Bureau (NCB) of Interpol. The NCB has a dedicated department that handles crimes against children investigations and works closely with the State Police. Over the past two years, Spain has conducted several large child pornography investigations resulting in many arrests. In June 2006, 21 people were arrested in countrywide raid on child pornography producers and distributors. In November 2006, an additional 13 people were arrested as a result of a child pornography video involving a 4 year old child posted on the Internet. Already in 2007, Spanish law enforcement has investigated 70 suspects who are sharing and posting images/videos of children as young as 9 years old. Operation Xuxa, which began in November 2005, continues to arrest suspects today. Turkey In March 2006, the training seminar was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Three participants Turkish lawenforcement officers were actively investigating an international child sexual exploitation ring prior to attending the training. During the course, the officers learned several investigative techniques including how to conduct online investigations as well as the most effective methods of handling evidence. Due to the effectiveness of the training, the officers were able to conduct surveillance on three possible locations and gather electronic communications from the suspects. Shortly after the conclusion of the training seminar, the officers took action. Several suspects were arrested. The case is still pending as it works its way through the Turkish legal system. Subsequently, Inspector Aydin, the lead investigator, received the 2006 International Law Enforcement Award presented at the Dallas Crimes Against Child Conference in Dallas, Texas. Following the training, a law enforcement participant took it upon himself to create an in house training program in order to continue to educate law enforcement officers on crimes against children. The training program has been very well received in Turkey. The same law enforcement officer was sponsored by 5

6 ICMEC to attend a one month training at Interpol headquarters in France to learn how to identify child victims in child pornography images. About the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) ICMEC is leading a global movement to protect children from sexual exploitation and abduction. With a growing presence in North America, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, ICMEC advocates for model legislation to protect children, promotes the creation of national centers based on a public private partnership model, leads a global financial coalition to eradicate commercial child pornography, and provides training and technology tools to law enforcement around the world. 6