How do the police find out if a person has downloaded or viewed indecent images of children? If you have experienced “the knock” at the door, or you are worried of what is to come, you may be wondering what to do, how did the police link any download to you, and what should you do to defend yourself. The first step to understanding how your case can be defended, is by understanding how the police are alerted to indecent image offences.
Accidental downloads or purposely viewing indecent images of children could lead to the police attending your home with a warrant to search and seize electronic devices, alternatively they may arrest you and search for and seize property under section 18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, there are various ways in which you can come to the attention of the police.
Locating indecent images online is a global effort that involves numerous organisations and a range of software tools. While UK police actively identify some of these images themselves, they also receive tens of thousands of referrals each year from other agencies such as the National Crime Agency, and agencies from other countries who partner with the UK to stop indecent image offences.
Web Crawlers and Metadata Monitoring
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Metadata Monitoring involves examining the data embedded within digital files, such as images and videos. Metadata can include information like the date and time the file was created, the device used, GPS location data, and even software used to edit the file. Analysts and software tools use this information to trace the origin of illegal material, verify authenticity, and link related files or offenders. For example, if several images share similar metadata, they might have been taken at the same time or location, helping investigators connect cases.
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Web Crawlers also known as spiders or bots, are automated programs that scan and index websites across the internet, including those on the dark web. These crawlers search for specific keywords, image hashes (unique digital fingerprints of known illegal content), and suspicious patterns. When they detect a match or potential threat, they flag the content for further investigation. Web crawlers allow agencies to monitor large volumes of online content efficiently and identify hidden or newly uploaded illegal material.
Keyword and Metadata Monitoring
Law enforcement agencies actively keep an eye on the internet to look for illegal or harmful activity, especially anything related to child sexual abuse.
They monitor things like search terms people type into search engines, messages exchanged in online chats, and conversations happening in public forums or social media platforms. To help them do this efficiently, they use advanced computer programs—called algorithms—that automatically scan for specific words, phrases, or behaviour patterns that may be connected to child sexual abuse material (also known as CSAM).
These systems are designed to quickly spot warning signs, such as someone searching for illegal content or using language that is commonly linked to child exploitation. Once something suspicious is flagged, investigators can look into it further to determine if a real threat or crime is involved.
The goal of this monitoring is to prevent the spread of harmful material and to protect children from exploitation by identifying and stopping offenders as early as possible.
Hash Matching Technology
Large tech companies like Microsoft and Facebook have created special tools to help find and report child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. One tool, called PhotoDNA (made by Microsoft), works by creating a unique digital “fingerprint” for each known illegal image. If the tool finds another image with the same or a similar fingerprint, it flags it and alerts the police.
Mandatory Reporting by Tech Companies
In many countries, technology companies—like social media platforms, email services, and online storage providers—are legally required to report any child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which includes indecent images, that they find on their platforms. This means if they come across content that might involve the exploitation of children, they must notify the proper authorities.
In the United States, these reports are sent to a special organization called the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC runs a system called the CyberTipline, which acts as a central place where these reports are collected and reviewed.
When a report is made, it often includes details like the IP address—a kind of digital address that shows where the content may have come from. This helps investigators figure out the location of the person who uploaded or shared the indecent image. Once they have this information, NCMEC forwards the report to the appropriate law enforcement agency in the U.S. or in another country, depending on where the IP address leads.
Dark Web Investigations
The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that doesn’t show up in regular search engines like Google. People use special tools to browse it anonymously, meaning their identity and location are kept secret. Because of this, the dark web is often used for illegal activities, but it is not 100% safe, at Eventum Legal we have dealt with many indecent images cases where the Dark Web has been used to access such material.
To catch individuals operating there, special police teams called cybercrime units carefully watch places on the dark web like online forums, marketplaces, and file-sharing networks. They use advanced technology to find weaknesses or mistakes in the system that can help them track down and identify the people who are using the Dark Web for illegal activity such as, making indecent images of children.
Human Intelligence and Tip Offs
It is not uncommon for the police to be tipped of by members of the public; friends, relations, or colleagues of the accused who may have seen something on the computer used by the accused. Computer repair engineers can notify the police when they suspect indecent image offences have been committed on a device they have potentially been asked to fix or wipe clean.
AI and Machine Learning Classifiers
Tools like Google’s Content Safety API use artificial intelligence (AI), which is a type of computer program that can learn and make decisions, to help spot new child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that hasn’t been seen before or isn’t already in existing databases. When the AI finds something that looks suspicious, it marks it so that real people—trained experts—can take a closer look and decide if it’s truly harmful or illegal. If they confirm it is, the information is then sent to the police or other law enforcement agencies to help stop the spread of this material and locate individuals interacting with the illegal content.
Peer to Peer Network Monitoring
People who commit crimes, like sharing indecent images, often use something called peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing systems to send files directly to each other over the internet. These systems allow users to share files without going through a central website, which can make it harder to track illegal activity.
To catch these offenders, the police use special computer programs that can recognise files based on something called a “hash.” A hash is like a digital fingerprint for a file — it’s a unique code that identifies a specific image or video. If the software spots files being shared that match the hashes of illegal images already known to law enforcement, it alerts the police who will then locate individuals using IP address information.
How Do The Police Locate a Person Who Has Looked At or Downloaded Indecent Images?
Obtaining your IP address is crucial for the police or other law enforcement agencies to locate you, if you have interacting with an image online, using a social media account or particular email address, this can help the police to establish who you are, and where you live. However, finding out who you are and how to locate you is the first step in what can be a long process, they must the prove that you have committed an indecent image offence.
How can Eventum Legal Help You with Indecent Image Offence Allegations?
More often than not, our team are contacted by the accused once they have been located by the police and devices are seized. However, we are also contacted by individuals who think they may have committed a criminal offence or accidentally seen an indecent image online. There are various ways to defend allegations of indecent images, and it is dependent on the facts of your case, the intelligence provided and the results of any forensic examination. It is important that from the moment of the “the knock” on the door that you are properly and carefully represented.
Speak to us today for a free and strictly confidential discussion about your case.