The AFP, through the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) has taken on chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) for the next three years.
The VGT is an international alliance of 15 dedicated law enforcement agencies working together to tackle the global threat of child sexual abuse.
The VGT was established in 2004 as a direct response to the rise in offenders targeting children all over the world through online social interactions and travelling overseas to commit contact sexual abuse.
The purpose of the VGT is to collaboratively assess the global child sexual abuse threat and to discuss innovative ways to tackle and address the threat from a multi-sector perspective.
The AFP historically chaired the VGT from 2009 -2012. Since this time, the threat landscape has drastically changed, as well as the introduction of the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE).
In the last financial year (2023-24), the ACCCE received 58,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation, an increase in approximately 18,000 reports from previous financial year.
Chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said online child sexual exploitation is an issue globally, which is growing in scale and complexity as technology advances.
"The Virtual Global Taskforce provides a collaborative and united approach to tackling child sexual abuse," Assistant Commissioner Gough said.
"A collaborative approach is essential as technology allows offenders to operate without geographic limits."
The VGT's growth and expansion over the past 20 years highlights the enduring drive and commitment by international law enforcement agencies to create a hostile internet environment for traders of child abuse material.
In combatting online child sexual exploitation, the VGT focuses on:
- Knowledge exchange
- Global influence and awareness raising
- Global threat scanning
- Seeking new opportunities to maximise impact
- Streamlining global lines of effort through international collaboration
- Operational and strategic workstreams
The AFP will work with Board of Management to continue to fulfil the mission of the VGT, as an international collaboration of dedicated law enforcement agencies working, with the private sector, to deliver innovative solutions that degrade the global threat of online and offline child sexual abuse.
The Virtual Global Taskforce is an alliance of 15 international law enforcement agencies, being the Australian Federal Police (Chair), United Kingdom - National Crime Agency, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Police of Colombia, Philippine National Police, Philippine National Bureau of Investigations, Netherlands National Police, Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand Police, Kenya National Police Service, Korean National Police Agency, United States Homeland Security Investigations, United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, INTERPOL and EUROPOL.
The AFP assumed the role of Chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce on 1 November, 2024, for a three-year period.
This was through its Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), which 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.
In Australia, members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the ACCCE. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, online support services are available.
