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CHAPTER 12: Abusive Images of Children & Information Communication Technology (ICT)

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was updated in June 2010 with the addition of a link to London guidelines for assessing children and families affected by adults viewing child sexual abuse images.

For further information, please go to the ceop website.


Contents

1. Definition
    Unlawful Material
    Lawful Material
2. Recognition
    Use of the Internet
3.   Response


1. DEFINITION

1.1

For the purposes of child protection, abusive images of children can be divided into:

  • Those which are unlawful and
  • Material, which although lawful, would give cause for concern and indicate that the person possessing it may pose a risk to children


Unlawful Material
1.2 An abusive image of a child under the age of 18 years old includes images in photographs, films, negatives, video tape, data stored on computers that can be converted into a photograph and 'pseudo-photographs' (images made by computers graphics, or other means, which appear to be a photograph). This also covers electronic images used by video phones and texting.
1.3 It is for a court to decide what is 'indecent' by application of recognised standards of propriety.
1.4 Possession of such material is an offence. Taking, showing or distributing such material amounts to a more serious offence.


Lawful Material
1.5 Lawful material falls outside the above definition, but may involve children in an indecent or sexual context. This could include pictures, cartoons, literature or sound recordings e.g. books, magazines, audio cassettes, tapes, CDs.


2. RECOGNITION

2.1 Abusive images may be found in the possession of those who use it for personal use or distributed to children as part of the grooming process.


Use of the Internet
2.2 The internet has become a significant tool in the distribution of abusive images of children, enabling ready access to such material. It may be downloaded and printed off in picture form or stored electronically on the hard drive of a computer, CD Rom, floppy disc etc.
2.3 Some adults use it to establish contact with children with a view to grooming them for inappropriate or abusive relationships. This may be accomplished through 'chat rooms' or contact by e-mail and may constitute an offence under The Sexual Offences Act 2003.
2.4 Children may be encouraged to access abusive images of children themselves through using apparently innocent words in an internet search engine.
2.5 Parents may wish to seek advice from their internet service provider of software programmes to limit access to sites that may be unsuitable for children.
2.6 See contact details in Appendix 2, Key National Contacts for sources of advice on internet safety.


3. RESPONSE

3.1 Parents should inform police if they are aware that a child has been the recipient of any suspicious contact through the internet or in receipt of abusive images, as described above.
3.2 Police must be informed of any information that a person may be in possession of abusive images of children or have placed / accessed abusive images of children on the internet.
3.3 Any information that a child may have been inappropriately contacted or approached, directly or via the internet, should also be passed to the police.
3.4 The police CAIU can provide advice generally on matters of abusive images of children to other agencies.
3.5 Whenever the police are informed of concerns that an individual may be involved in the creation, distribution or possession of abusive images of children, consideration must be given to the possibility that the individual might also be involved in the active abuse of children and her/his access to children should be established, including family and work settings.
3.6

For additional practice guidance, please refer to the London guidelines for assessing children and families affected by adults viewing child sexual abuse images.
3.7

The police must inform Children's Social Care and a Strategy Discussion held whenever it is suspected a parent / carer or someone with access to children in other contexts e.g. employment:

  • Is in possession of child abusive images of children and / or
  • Has taken, shown or distributed child abusive images of children and / or
  • Has used the internet to make inappropriate approaches to children
3.8 The Strategy Discussion must consider all access the individual has to children and initiate a Section 47 Enquiry whenever it is confirmed that a parent or carer of child/ren, or someone with access to child/ren has been involved in one or more of the activities detailed above.
3.9 See Section 1, Duty to Establish LSCB, of the Strategic Management Procedure for LSCB responsibility to raise awareness about the safe use of the internet by children.

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