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Financial Inclusion and Crime Prevention in Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Australian Federal Police Crack Down on Child Abuse Websites
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has made a significant breakthrough in its efforts to prevent child abuse material from being distributed through websites hosted in the Cocos Keeling Islands. In collaboration with local authorities and international partners, the AFP has blocked access to 10 websites associated with the Australian territory that were responsible for distributing almost one million images and videos of child abuse.
Background
The investigation was launched in 2022 after the Shire of Cocos Keeling Islands alerted the AFP to multiple websites containing child abuse material associated with the Australian territory. The websites’ URLs ended with ‘.cc’, which is the top-level domain (TLD) for the Cocos Keeling Islands.
Investigation and Results
Since the sites were disrupted on October 10, 2023, AFP investigators have recorded tens of thousands of attempted visits from around the world. The IP addresses and identities of those who visited these sites from another country will be referred to the relevant law enforcement agency in that country to identify offenders and support criminal investigations.
Collaboration and Response
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), an international not-for-profit agency combatting child abuse, has flagged the Cocos Keeling Islands TLD as one of the top 10 TLDs worldwide associated with the distribution of child abuse material. Officers from the AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) and Cocos Keeling Islands worked together to remove access to the sites identified as mostly hosting child abuse material.
Impact
Visitors to these sites will now see a ’takedown notice’ issued by the AFP, and they cannot access previously-hosted child exploitation material. An investigation is ongoing to identify the administrators, contributors, and users of the websites involved.
Quotes from Key Officials
- “These videos and images show real children being exploited, physically harmed, and traumatised for the perverse gratification of offenders. Each time these files are shared, it perpetuates the harm caused to these children.” - AFP Acting Commander Cybercrime Tim Stainton
- “With our partners in law enforcement, we continue to chip away at one of the most distressing and abhorrent violations of human rights: the sexual abuse of children.” - eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant
Conclusion
The AFP will continue to use every tool in its arsenal, from website takedowns to seizing servers and arresting those who provide, access, or distribute the material, to help keep children safe. The agency is working to identify the people responsible for creating these sites as well as those who accessed them.
Reporting Online Child Sexual Abuse
To report online child sexual abuse, including child sexual abuse material, please contact the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation using the Report Abuse button. If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, support services are available at www.accce.gov.au/support.