What is online child sexual exploitation?
Online child sexual exploitation is the use of technology or the internet to sexually exploit a child or create or share child sexual abuse material.
What is child sexual abuse material?
Child sexual abuse material is also called child sexual exploitation material. It refers to the recording of the sexual abuse or exploitation of a child or young person. This can include images, videos, or live-streamed content that depict real children or young persons.
The Department of Internal Affairs website(external link) has more information about child sexual abuse material and child sexual exploitation online.
What should I do if I find content that I believe is illegal?
The Department of Internal Affairs investigates and prosecutes people who deliberately collect child sexual abuse material. If you come across content that you believe is illegal, leave the site immediately and report it to the Digital Child Exploitation Team(external link).
What is grooming?
Grooming is when an adult tries to build a relationship with a child so that they can sexually exploit them. Exploitation isn’t always physical, it can also happen online. See Online Grooming(external link) for more information about grooming and how to safeguard your children.
What are harmful sexual behaviours?
Harmful sexual behaviour involves sexual acts that have a lack of informed consent, involve the use of force or coercion, include inequalities such as knowledge, intellectual functioning, power/authority, physical size differences and emotional development.
Some individuals may also display concerning sexual behaviours. These are sexualised behaviours that appear to be outside the normal range for children/adolescents, the sexual behaviour is not experienced as mutual and there is a willingness to curtail their behaviour with guidance. For more information visit Stop: