Child sexual abuse cases surged dramatically, with over 29 million reports and 85 million related files in 2021 (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber Tip 2021 Report). Each file represented potential child abuse, causing lasting harms. As this issue, and the technology that facilitated it, continued to evolve, so too did our responses.

Traditional investigative methods struggle in the digital landscape, exacerbated by weak legislation, limited investigative capacity, and insufficient cooperation and support services. To address these challenges, a multi-disciplinary approach that includes analysing financial transactions can be effective in identifying and investigating online child sexual abuse and exploitation cases. 

This webinar discussed the importance of “following the money” to detect OSAEC and address investigation gaps. It featured regional and international experts in financial investigation, law enforcement, and civil society.