‘Stop Child Abuse - Trace an Object’ was established by Europol in 2017 and launched in Australia in 2021.
This initiative encourages members of the community to identify objects from the background of child sexual abuse material. Images only contain the content to be identified and have been sanitised for public viewing.
We are convinced that more eyes will provide more leads, and information which helps identify the origin or location of these objects can dramatically enhance law enforcement's ability to identify and locate both the victims and offenders.
What have we achieved with your help so far?
Members of the community have visited the Australian ‘Stop Child Abuse - Trace an Object’ web page more than 69,000 times, and more than 1,300 information reports have been received from the public in relation to the images posted.
Due to some extremely helpful information reports from Trace an Object images:
- Several reports have identified the Australian state in which the offending occurred
- Vendors of the specific objects have assisted with investigations
- Investigators have narrowed in on leads and possible perpetrators
- Images of child exploitation have been linked to existing investigations allowing a stronger case to be built against the offenders
- Additionally, the images have facilitated increased awareness and discussion about online child sexual exploitation among the community.
Most importantly, we still need your help. Every day new images of child exploitation are created and uploaded online. With each new image published on the Trace an Object page we are seeking to remove another child from harm.
We encourage you to spread the word and share these images.
The Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object Europe initiative was established in 2017.
For more information, visit Europol Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object