But the reality is unfortunately different. Children repeatedly become victims of sexual abuse. This often creates images that are distributed and shared worldwide.

Always report child pornography!

It must be clear to everyone that not only sexual abuse itself is a crime , but also the sharing and distribution of child pornographic material . Anyone who witnesses such actions or possesses and distributes material is also liable to prosecution.

Act and report!

As adults, it is important to also sensitize children and young people in this regard. Recordings of child sexual abuse are also spread carelessly by children and young people via WhatsApp, messengers or social networks - thereby committing crimes and further traumatizing victims. It is extremely important to stop the spread of such content immediately and report it.

The police have developed a comprehensive FAQ (frequently asked questions) where they have compiled and answered many frequently asked questions about child pornography, such as questions about criminal liability, gray areas and reporting channels.


Please note: The following FAQ is not exhaustive. They represent only a part of the questions that the police are confronted with in their work against the distribution of child pornography and youth pornography.

You do not have to be able to assign content sent to you. That is the job of police professionals. In addition to obviously criminal representations in film, images or writing, there are also those that are not easy to classify. It is not always possible to tell whether these are children, i.e. young people under the age of 14, or whether they are teenagers or adults. It is important not to forward content that demeans people or shows them in a sexualized manner, but rather to report it. The difference between child and youth pornography is explained under child pornography .

With so-called sexting, people send erotic photos, videos or messages via email or messenger to people they know, such as their own boyfriend or girlfriend. It is not prohibited to take intimate photos or videos of yourself and share them with another person in a relationship.

Sexting among minors becomes legally relevant. So are e.g. B. Sexual depictions of children (up to 13 years of age) are prohibited without exception because they fall under the offense of child pornography.

Young people aged 14 and over who consensually send each other their own nude images still constitute the production and distribution of youth pornography (§ 184c StGB). In partnership relationships between young people, however, this can also not be considered a criminal offense. However, distribution is definitely punishable if it is done without the consent of the person or persons shown.

Child pornographic images are punishable worldwide. When it comes to child pornography, it is not just the distribution that is a crime, but the possession itself . For example, if content is shared and viewed in WhatsApp groups, the recipients of the messages are also liable to prosecution because they come into possession of child pornography. This also applies to youth pornography.

Anyone who spreads such content via smartphone or other means must expect police investigations and a criminal complaint to the public prosecutor. A court decides on the punishment depending on the severity of the crime. Important to know: Possessing and distributing images of serious child sexual abuse is a crime and is punishable by a prison sentence of at least one year. In addition always retain smartphones and other means of communication or carry out further measures such as apartment searches to preserve evidence.

First of all, it is crucial not to spread the content and to make this clear to those around you, for example in the affected WhatsApp group. The distribution of child or youth pornography must not be tolerated. consistently reports this is, above all, making an active contribution to victim protection. Because every report not only stops the spread, but also helps the police identify the actual perpetrators.

Under no circumstances should you forward such content. Not even to trusted people who are supposed to help you legally classify content. It's good to get help in ambiguous situations. However, the content should not be further distributed. This would make you liable to prosecution. You should also report such content: especially in these cases, the federal and statewide internet complaints offices are the right contacts. Network operators (e.g. Facebook) or other platform providers must also follow up on your report.

The operators of social networks have set up options through which you can report criminal content. Do this even if you cannot clearly classify content.

The Internet complaints office at www.internet-beschwerdestelle.de offers an uncomplicated reporting option. In many federal states there are also other positions that can be easily researched via the Internet.

It is particularly important to involve the police when it comes to child or youth pornography.

It may happen that you are initially investigated after you have filed a complaint. This is the normal procedure in such proceedings.

You can file a report at any police station . This is not tied to any form and can generally be done in person, by telephone or in writing. In many federal states you can also file a report via an online watchdog . This is also possible if an offense took place a long time ago.

When it comes to child and youth pornography, you need to pay particular attention to the following: If you suspect that the content could be child or youth pornography, contact your local police station as early as possible. Ask specifically whether screenshots are necessary in the case you describe as part of the preservation of evidence. If you secure child or youth pornographic material, you may be committing a criminal offense. A screenshot would give you, as an uninvolved person, possession of criminal content.

This depends on the individual case and cannot be answered in general. It is generally advisable to report crimes so that they can be prosecuted. In addition, reporting is also an active contribution to protecting the victims of such crimes. Before simply deleting potentially child or youth pornographic content, everyone should carefully consider that behind every image there is real sexual abuse - and that the victim must be protected.

You can actively contribute to ensuring that child and youth pornography is not further distributed. Anyone who generally does not forward such content is taking an important first step. Secondly, it is crucial to consistently report relevant images, videos or comments. Under no circumstances should you search for content on the Internet yourself. That is the job of the police. It would be more important to sensitize those around you and prevent them from being forwarded.

If you repeatedly receive such content as part of (cyber) bullying or stalking, you should report it to the police immediately. Contact your police department to find out how you can secure evidence of the crime. Please also note our victim tips .

Source: Police Advisory

Also read: Stolen children's photos on child pornography sites


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