The AFP has released new images under the world-class initiative, Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object, in the hope of solving child sexual abuse cold cases with the help of the public, including from Whittlesea and Hume.
The four non-confrontational images released as a part of National Child Protection Week include a room with a fireplace, a bed frame with a built in radio and two linked images that feature a distinctive brick wall pattern and yellow curtains.
AFP investigators are hoping that certain details in the images might serve as clues that could help crack cases and potentially remove vulnerable children from harm.
Investigators believe the images released today are taken in Australia, and they are calling on the public to view the images and contact the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) if they recognise items in the images.
Since Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object was launched in March, 2021, 186,000 people have visited the website, resulting in 908 tip-offs to the AFP.
The reports received to date have been significant and sparked numerous investigative leads.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Helen Schneider said these images were considered to be needles in a haystack, but believed the public could have a piece of information that would help police.
“Victim identification specialists have the painstaking task of going through images and videos frame-by-frame to identify anything that helps with the origin, location or the identity of a victim,” she said.
“Your leads can make or break an investigation and every tip could make all the difference for a vulnerable victim.
“No child should have to endure sexual abuse and our team of investigations will never give up the fight, but we need every member of the community to be our eyes and ears to help police save victims and arrest perpetrators.
“If you recognise an object and any details about its origin, please report it via the ACCCE website. You can do so securely and anonymously.
“No clue is too small. Your small tip could be the information we need to rescue a child from significant harm.”
‘Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object’ was developed and launched by the AFP-led ACCCE and is based on the highly-successful initiative devised by Europol in 2017.
The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into online child sexual exploitation and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.
The public can view the images by visiting www.accce.gov.au/trace or follow the ACCCE on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates on objects uploaded to the website.
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the ACCCE at www.accce.gov.au/report.
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.
