Online Child Exploitation and Digital Policing: Challenges, Emerging Trends, and Policy Responses

Abstract

Digital technology, such as social media, encrypted messaging, cloud technology and artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised communication and opened up new opportunities for children to be exploited online. This exploitation encompasses grooming, sexual extortion (sextortion), child sexual abuse material (CSAM), livestreaming abuse and other cyber-enabled crimes. The lack of a physical border makes it difficult to enforce the law in cyberspace, necessitating the development of more sophisticated digital policing techniques such as Cyber Forensics, international cooperation, Public-Private Partnerships, and the use of Artificial Intelligence in investigations. On a global scale, around 302 million children are victims of some form of online sexual exploitation every year (one in eight). The methodology of this study is qualitative, which involves three methods, namely secondary literature, institutional reports and comparative policy analysis, to explore new trends, technological issues and legal aspects of digital policing. Results show that although technology has improved, policing still has jurisdictional, privacy and capacity issues. Collaborative international action is required; laws need to be harmonized, technology needs to be properly governed, investments must be made in digital policing and child safety education must be proactive and online.