Inside the police war on child pornography

A concerning trend is emerging in the digital gaming landscape, where child predators are exploiting popular online gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite to groom children. 

These platforms, designed for entertainment, are becoming hotspots for malicious actors targeting vulnerable minors, Superintendent Anna Maria Xuereb, who heads the police’s Cyber Crime Unit (CCU), told MaltaToday. 

Police Cyber Crime Unit handled 1,145 cases so far in 2024

After covering several court arraignments related to the possession and distribution of child pornography, MaltaToday contacted the police to gain a deeper understanding of the issue and to explore whether emerging technologies are influencing trends. 

Xuereb, along with Sergeant Matthew Sacco, who is responsible for filtering and identifying illegal content, explained the police's approach to these cases and the challenges involved in investigating such crimes. 

Locally, the Cyber Crime Unit handled 1,145 such cases this year, up from 1,094 in 2023 and 647 in 2022. This uptick reflected both increased reporting and the growing sophistication of predators. 

Hunting the predator 

Xuereb and Sacco detailed how they approached investigations into these crimes and the limitations imposed on them. 

Malta’s police normally launch investigations after receiving reports from the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). 

“When social platforms identify content related to children, they report it to NCMEC, which then forwards it to the concerned country. The country’s police force then conducts its investigations,” Sacco explained. 

Superintendent Anna Maria Xuereb and Sergeant Matthew Sacco believe that Maltese law needs to change in order for the police to effectively fight against child porn

Once the content is sent to the Malta Police, the unit analyses it to determine whether further investigation is needed and whether the individuals involved should be arraigned. 

However, the two explained that the police cannot proactively pursue offenders, as the law does not permit undercover operations. 

To gain access to child-porn trading networks, officers would be required to share content themselves, as failure to do so would result in their removal from these networks. If the police officers in Malta engaged in such trades, they would be effectively breaking the law, and so charges in court would not stand. 

“You have these chat boards like Reddit, where group members are required to upload content in order to remain there. But the police in Malta are not allowed by law, so any attempts to do so would be futile as you would be kicked out,” Xuereb said. “Maltese law needs to change. When we network with our counterparts from other countries, they are left baffled that we cannot conduct such operations under Maltese law.” 

She explained that such operations are commonplace in other Western countries, and some even have specialised units that monitor the internet. “They patrol the internet and the dark web, and when needed, engage with paedophiles in order to identify and prosecute offenders.” 

How the predator hunts 

The police officers explained how paedophiles use various methods and tools to groom children. 

Popular online games like Roblox and Fortnite, frequented by millions of children worldwide, have increasingly become fertile grounds for predators to exploit young players. 

Roblox and Fortnite are highly popular online platforms that allow players, primarily children and teens, to create, explore, and interact in virtual worlds. While designed for gaming and creativity, their social features make them vulnerable to misuse. 

According to Sacco, predators often use these platforms to engage with children, gradually building trust over time. “They win the minor’s trust by offering perks like in-game currency, exclusive items, or fostering a sense of friendship. For the child, these interactions may start to feel normal,” Sacco explained. 

The grooming process is often slow and deliberate, sometimes spanning months or even years. Predators use the anonymity of these games to initiate conversations, eventually escalating their behaviour by requesting personal information, private chats, or explicit content. 

“The imminent danger arises when predators begin direct communication with a child, declaring their love or even planning real-world meetings to carry out abuse,” he said. Sacco said he has come across cases where paedophiles even travel to other countries to carry out the abuse. 

Xuereb also highlighted the risks of these platforms: “Predators are patient and strategic. They exploit the interactive features of games to lure minors into trusting them. Grooming is not an instant process – it’s methodical.” 

No child porn produced in Malta 

Sacco also outlined the four main types of child pornography he has encountered: “It's macabre, that’s for sure. You find content where children are engaged in sexual acts with minors, two adults performing sexual acts while a child is present, adults performing sexual acts with children, and bestiality involving children.” 

However, both Sacco and Xuereb were keen to reassure readers that they had not encountered any child pornography produced in Malta. 

“What we have come across is minors, sometimes as young as five, who innocently film themselves naked and upload the video to YouTube. YouTube obviously takes the video down immediately and sends a report to NCMEC, who then informs us. After we speak to their parents, we check their devices to ensure the content was not sent to third parties, and we clear the device, so we put their minds at rest,” she said. “We understand that life is fast-paced, but parents must remain vigilant about their children's online activities. There are ways to monitor and control their internet usage.” 

AI: the latest weapon for child porn producers 

The officers also explained how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has opened up a new frontier and is being used to produce child pornography. 

“We are seeing a lot of AI-generated content. We are seeing photos and videos showing young children whose faces have been ripped and cropped from normal photos uploaded on social media,” Xuereb said. 

Earlier this year, a 27-year-old man in the UK was jailed for 18 years after creating AI-generated images of child sexual abuse. The convicted man accepted requests from individuals via online chatrooms for “bespoke” explicit images depicting children being harmed both sexually and physically and used pictures of real children to create some of the computer-generated images, the court heard. 

The perpetrator frequently discussed child sexual abuse with other chatroom users and, on three separate occasions, encouraged the rape of children aged under 13. 

“The images and videos we come across are not perfect, and you notice what is AI-generated and what is not, but we are heading towards perfection. We notice because we zoom in and we know the techniques, but at first glance, you do not notice,” Xuereb said. 

Getting into the mind of the hunter and the hunted 

During the interview, Sacco and Xuereb were asked to describe the range of emotions displayed by suspects once they were brought into the interrogation room. 

“There are some who, once they get caught, are relieved and grateful because they can seek help. There are others who feel they are not doing anything wrong. For them, it's the same as if they were attracted to adults. It is okay for them,” Sacco said. 

Popular online games like Roblox and Fortnite, frequented by millions of children worldwide, have increasingly become fertile grounds for predators to exploit young players

“We have also seen links between people who suffered sexual abuse when they were young and ended up carrying out that abuse themselves. Not all of them, but we have seen these cases.” 

As parents themselves, both police officers were asked what goes through their minds when they enter an interrogation. “You must remain impartial and enter the interrogation without any prejudice,” Xuereb said. “You cannot enter the interrogation with any anger. You do not know what the interrogation’s result will be, and the person in front of you might not be the person you are looking for. The suspect might also close up and not give you any information.” 

“You also have to keep in mind that everyone has their rights. Macabre as the crime might be, you have to respect the person’s human and legal rights,” she went on to say. 

Is the war being won? 

Faced with increased instances of child pornography reports, advancing technologies, and a lack of legal powers, the police officers were asked whether they feel they are winning the war against online child predators. 

“Our wish is to win this war, but technology is evolving at such a rapid rate that it’s a constant fight. It is a continuous battle, and if people are a bit more aware and listen to our appeals for safer internet use, it can go such a long way,” Xuereb said. 

Sacco, on the other hand, said the secret to winning the war is the establishment of partnerships with local and foreign organisations. 

“We want to continue building networks and relationships with organisations and people. To defeat a network, you need a network,” he said.

Do you want to report a crime? 

You can either go to the nearest police station and physically file a report or else you can also file a remote report by going online at https://pulizija.gov.mt/en/file-a-report/ and following the onscreen instructions. 

Are you a victim of a crime? 

The National Support Line for crime victims operates seven days a week, including public holidays, from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Call on 116006 if you need help. If you prefer written communication, you can send an email to [email protected].