2020 set to be record year for child pornography cases

2020 is looking to be a record year for cases of child pornography, with the police’s cybercrime unit recording 102 cases in the first five months of this year, while 161 cases were identified throughout 2019.

Speaking to a local news outlet, head of the cybercrime unit Andreas Anastasiades said the surge in child pornography cases can partly be attributed to the lockdown period. Police have also acquired upgraded equipment allowing them to track down perpetrators through improved mechanisms.

Anastasiades noted that most cases involve local online activity, but boosted cooperation networks with Europol and Interpol provide the local police force with more tools to combat child pornography.

He added that another important factor is that police have managed to cultivate a climate of trust among the public as regards the way cases of child pornography are dealt with, as increasing numbers of minors are reporting cases.

This year is set see the highest number of child pornography cases, as just between the months of January and May, police have recorded 102 cases. In 2013, police investigated just 23 cases, but the figure spiked to 106 the following year. In 2015, 154 cases of child pornography were recorded, 126 in 2016, 130 in 2017, 133 in 2018, and 161 in 2019.