Recordings of the online child sexual abuse have become a serious global issue due to a rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT). The commercial market value of such content is estimated to exceed several billion dollars. This thesis, with the help of secondary sources and two expert interviews, provides a systematic overview of trends and challenges in this particular field. First, the thesis discusses the actual meaning of the child sexual abuse images and then focuses on the impact the ICT has on the creation and distribution of the child sexual abuse images. The other topics discussed include the aspects of detection, monitoring, prosecution, prevention and public awareness. In this context, three civil society reporting points contributing to efforts to prevent these actions and raise public awareness of the issue are described. The conclusion of the thesis presents a review of the legislation and the challenges the law enforcement faces. Footage of child sexual abuse is spreading very fast due to modern technology and, therefore, the global law enforcement cooperation is of vital importance. Only in this way is the content quickly removed and the victim protected. Due to the complexity of all circumstances, the issue cannot be eradicated completely. However, every effort should be made to limit online child sexual exploitation.
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