The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction

The Effects of Technology on Law Enforcement’s Ability to Investigate Child PornographyAmong NDIC interviewees:• 52 percent of respondents reported that encryption and secure password technologyhampers the ability of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute child pornographyoffenders.• 46 percent of respondents reported that wireless Internet connections create anonymity,which makes it difficult for law enforcement to locate child pornography offenders.• 42 percent of respondents reported that proxy servers and IP spoofing create anonymity,which makes it difficult for law enforcement to locate child pornography offenders.• 31 percent reported that the large and seemingly limitless storage capabilities, such asonline image storage and wireless external storage devices (external hard drives,thumb/USB drives, CDs, etc.), make it difficult for law enforcement to investigate andappropriately prosecute offenders.The Effect of Technology on the Number of Child Pornography OffendersAmong NDIC interviewees:• 73 percent of respondents reported that the Internet has made it easier for offenders toacquire and distribute child pornography.• 24 percent of respondents reported that digital cameras make it easier to produce anddistribute child pornography because offenders can bypass print shops and upload photosfrom their cameras directly to the Internet.• 22 percent of respondents reported that the Internet has created situational offenders whowould not have otherwise viewed or sought out child pornography if it were not for theInternet making it so prevalent and easily accessible.Methods Used by Child Pornography Offenders to Avoid Detection and Identification byLaw EnforcementAmong NDIC interviewees:• 53 percent of respondents reported that child pornography offenders use proxy servers toavoid identification.• 26 percent of respondents reported the use of encryption and secure password technologyto avoid detection.• 23 percent of respondents reported the use of software programs designed to delete dataor “clean” or “wipe” a hard drive to eliminate evidence to avoid detection.• 21 percent of respondents reported the use of wireless Internet connections to avoiddetection.D-11