From Files to Networks: Disrupting CSAM Distribution at Its Source

Written by Tampere University

We in the SafeHorizon project continuously monitor clear/deep/dark-web sources, not just for data breaches, but for the underlying infrastructure that powers Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS).

Yesterday, November 18, marked the European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The Council of Europe uses this day to highlight the urgency of action under the Lanzarote Convention. This treaty obliges nations to criminalize all forms of sexual abuse against children and spells out the ways to fight it. This framework requires prosecuting offenders and coordinating effective, cross-border prevention.

Authorities in New York arrested an Army soldier after a federal investigation uncovered his possession of more than 7,000 photos and videos of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). This shocking volume of files reveals the need to address the high-capacity, organized distribution of this content. Transnational criminal networks collect and trade these immense databases. This organized distribution allows offenders to rapidly acquire huge collections.

Tracking the digital origin of massive collections, like the one seized in New York, allows authorities to identify the global distribution hubs. Law enforcement must target the criminal infrastructure at its source. This approach provides the path to successfully prosecute individual offenders while simultaneously dismantling the transnational criminal networks that trade in human suffering.

References:
https://www.coe.int/en/web/children/-/18-november-day-for-the-protection-of-children-against-sexual-exploitation-and-sexual-abuse
https://www.wwnytv.com/2025/11/18/soldier-arrested-possessing-more-than-7000-photos-videos-child-sex-abuse-material-officials-say