This presentation will detail a child exploitation/financial global investigation. The investigation began with the identification of a commercial child exploitation website operated by Russian nationals. Using various investigative techniques such as undercover operations, forensic exams, financial tracing, social media exploitation, social engineering, and interviews, agents were able to locate the servers hosting the CSAM files and those processing the payments for purchases of CSAM. The servers were located in multiple countries throughout Europe. The presenters will explain how with the assistance of attaches, and international partnerships, they conducted an unprecedented, coordinated take down/seizure of the CSAM and payment processing servers. Over 180 U.S. targets and 200 international targets were identified. One of the U.S. targets was found to have victimized more than thirty children. One of which was his own daughter who took her own life in 2012. The Australians coordinated spin off, Operation Walwa, arrested twenty individuals resulting in 856 child exploitation charges. The presenters will highlight the successes and challenges of operating in the international environment and coordinating a large-scale child exploitation/financial investigation, utilizing multiple case examples throughout.
Learning Objectives:
How to target for profit child exploitation websites
How to locate and seize servers associated with the CSAM site
How to obtain information and conduct operations through collaboration in an international environment
