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High-tech war on child porn
23/04/2004 09:17 - (SA)
Washington - Police officers around the world will be trained to use technology in a new global effort to stamp out child pornography, officials with the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children announced on Thursday.
About 300 police officers from 90 countries have gathered in countries such as Costa Rica and Brazil for training sponsored by the centre's "Global Campaign Against Child Pornography", officials said at a news conference.
The group plans to host as many as 10 training sessions a year, with hundreds more officers slated to be trained this year.
The campaign is funded by a $1m donation from Microsoft Corporation and Sheila C Johnson, a member of the centre's board.
Officials from Microsoft and Interpol will spearhead the training, which will aim to teach officers to use technology to solve crimes, said Interpol Chief Ronald Noble.
"Let them look at the crime differently, and also learn how technology can let them investigate a crime locally and globally as well," Noble said.
Radio in background
He described how police officers in Sweden had obtained a video of a child being abused by a man. Through identifying the man's Spanish-speaking accent and singling out a radio-broadcast in the background, authorities were able to locate the man in Connecticut and eventually prosecute him.
Officers must view pictures as not just evidence of crime but as crime scenes, Noble said. Everything from newspapers in the background, to shampoo bottles, to furniture can help authorities locate culprits, Noble said.
The new campaign hopes to make co-operation easier among local law enforcement agencies, Interpol and the centre, so that child pornography can be decreased, he added.
- AP
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