This National Child Protection Week, Victoria Police is urging young people to think before sharing intimate images of themselves online and to make a report if it happens without their consent.
It is illegal to share an explicit image or video of someone without their consent in Victoria – yet police are still seeing it occur, particularly among those under the age of 18.
Figures from the Crime Statistics Agency show intimate image-based offences involving victims under the age of 18 has increased by 24 per cent in the year to March 2024.
Detectives from the Sexual Offence and Child Abuse Investigation Teams (SOCIT) and Victorian Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET), which is comprised of both Victoria Police and AFP investigators, have been working tirelessly to investigate reports of the crime and support victims.
If you, the young person in your life, or anyone you know has had their intimate images shared without their consent, speak to police, or if you would prefer, use online forums such as ReportCyber and the ESafety Commissioner which will assess the report and provide them to police.
Even if you do not wish to make a formal report, police can still assist you in seeking further support.
When social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, detect images of a child under 18 they are mandated to make a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). In an emergency call Triple Zero (000).
