A project that has received funding under the new Child Exploitation Material Reduction Research Program (CEMRRP) will see an innovative web tool developed and tested to help law enforcers detect online child exploitation materials.

The tool, which is being advanced by a multidisciplinary team across Australia and the United States, will include automated audio and facial recognition biometrics.

Flinders University criminologist / forensic psychologist Associate Professor David Bright is joining experts from the University of Adelaide, San Jose State University and Michigan University to integrate the capabilities into a proven webcrawling tool (developed by a member of the project team), validate its effectiveness, then map the flow of materials across social networks.

The project will result in a validated biometric webcrawler that can be used by law enforcement agencies to detect child exploitation material.

Eight research projects were announced as successful recipients under the CEMRRP, which was launched in November 2018 as a collaboration between the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Australian Federal Police. The program was funded with $800,000 over two years for projects that reduce the production, distribution, storage and viewing of child exploitation material. A total of 23 submissions were received.

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said the successful projects include research to develop tools, psychological inventions, and prevent and discourage the upload of material.

“Research from these projects will help to identify new solutions to this critical issue, and ultimately reduce exploitation of children,” Minister Dutton said.