How the “dark web” works in pedophilia and sex trafficking of minors

Her nightmarish case of rape and prostitution 12 years oldat Sepoliawith more than 200 pedophiles simultaneously expressing interest via the internet, according to ELAS, to meet the girl, combined with the successive incidents of sexual abuse of children, show the alarming dimensions that pedophiles, as well as sex trafficking, have taken of minors online.

“Criminals are exploiting vulnerabilities to contact and gain the trust of minors onlinebefore they proceed to the abuse”, the director of the Electronic Crime Prosecution Directorate (DDIE), Vassilis Papakostas, emphasizes to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency.

“With fake identities often obtain self-generated material through manipulation or extortion,” he notes, adding: “Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks remain an important channel for user-to-user sharing of material featuring minors. or within small groups. Malicious users exploit technologies to encrypt conversations and files, as well as hide their digital footprints and information.”

Groups that facilitate the sharing of material on the Dark Web continue to proliferate and pose a persistent threat. Offenders often share illegal content in these groups through direct links to image hosts on the Clearnet and Dark Web.

The forums are well structured and users are organized hierarchically according to their roles.

But what can be done to deal with pedophilia and sex trafficking of minors online?

Despite ongoing efforts and successful actions by law enforcement to take down platforms that focus on child sexual abuse, groups that facilitate the sharing of material on the Dark Web continue to proliferate and pose a persistent threat.

The Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate of the Hellenic Police Headquarters, through the Department of Online Protection of Minors and Digital Investigation, participates in international trainings on cutting-edge technologies, closed forums exclusively for law enforcement authorities and international businesses regarding sexual exploitation and pornography of minors via the Internet. At the same time, it has digital tools for immediate detection of relevant material and cooperates with prosecutorial and prosecuting authorities around the world, exchanges information through international channels regarding cybercrime, while being immediately informed of any new trend and challenge.

“An important tool”, Mr. Papakostas points out, “is also the possibility of deactivating (takedown) websites in Greece, which is limited to five cases and the blocking of websites with child pornography material, following an order of the competent prosecutor in cooperation with the service companies internet service providers (ISPs), pursuant to the provisions of article 18 of Law 4267/2014 “Combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and child pornography”.

Special legal framework

“The treatment of cybercrimes by the prosecuting authorities and the legal issues related to cybercrimes, presuppose the existence of a special legal framework and a common anti-crime policy, due to the internationalized nature of cybercrime”, underlines Mr. Papakostas.

“It is necessary to establish new objective crimes, which pose rules and limits on the conduct of online service and web hosting providers, but also the users, taking into account in each case the applicable constitutional Principles and at the same time safeguarding and protecting freedom of speech and personal data. It is considered important to establish a single European cybercrime prosecution authority and to appoint specialized cybercrime prosecutors within each country, for the benefit of the most immediate and speedy investigation and administration of justice. Harmonization of laws is essential in a globalized digital environment. States are called upon to strengthen effective and efficient channels of communication and reporting of serious and organized online crime.”

In addition, as the head of the DDIE notes, “important is considered the enactment of cybercrime legislation, focused on the way criminals operate rather than the forms and ever-evolving and emerging technologies, such as for example cryptocurrencies, cloud storage and others. At the same time, targeted and specialized training programs for the participants in cybercrime criminal investigation procedures – prosecuting, judicial and police authorities – in the constantly changing technology used by the perpetrators, as well as the standardization of further cooperation procedures, are also important.

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