Mission Supports Workshop on Cryptocurrency and Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

Improving international cooperation, sharing experiences and best practices, and adopting a collaborative approach are essential for effectively tackling online child sexual abuse and exploitation. This was one of the main conclusions of the workshop at the “Cryptocurrency and Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation”, organized by the Southeast Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) at the Western Balkans Cyber ​​​​Capacity Centre (WB3C), from 11 to 13 September in Podgorica.

The OSCE mission to Montenegro supported the organisation of this event, which brought together more than 20 participants from eight police forces in the region, as well as experts from Austria, France, Romania and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Stephen Harmon, Program Manager for Security Cooperation and Governance of the mission, addressed the participants. He explained that cryptocurrencies are a technical and financial innovation with great potential for the global economy, but at the same time they are increasingly being abused for criminal activities.

“The increasing use of cryptocurrencies to purchase child sexual abuse and exploitation material is a critical issue that requires immediate attention. This is especially urgent given the significant increase in the use of cryptocurrencies to acquire such illicit content. As law enforcement efforts struggle to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology, addressing this problem requires a collaborative approach involving governments, law enforcement, the tech industry, civil society, schools, and parents,” Harmon said.

During 11 training sessions, participants explored how bitcoin basics, blockchains and cryptocurrencies are used in child sexual abuse and how such transactions can be traced. The need to foster dialogue and strengthen collective efforts to protect children from this form of exploitation was emphasized.

The event was also supported by the Council of Europe and the Austrian Intelligence Service.