Icon: enlarge
"It can be a very stressful job": In order to convict criminals, investigators have to sift through masses of violent videos
Photo: Rapeepong Puttakumwong / Getty Images
Pedo criminals have developed a perfidious strategy online to swap recordings of child abuse unnoticed: anyone who wants to see material of sexual violence against children has to regularly upload recordings themselves.
In darknet forums or special chats, this test is cynically called a chastity test.
This was a problem for German investigators, because until recently they were not allowed to circulate such recordings.
For children, the test means an additional risk, because in some forums only new abuse material is accepted.
For half a year, undercover agents in Germany have had a tool to pass the access test.
You are allowed to upload artificial images of children and sexual violence against children in order to deceive the criminals.
The only condition: The pictures may not show real children - however, deceptively real images made with the help of artificial intelligence are permitted.
The fact that the relevant law was passed in the Federal Council in February is also due to the Bavarian state government and a special team of online investigators: the public prosecutors of the Central Cybercrime Bavaria (ZCB) in Bamberg.
The Bavarian Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich (CSU) calls them Bavaria's figurehead in the fight against child abuse.
In the SPIEGEL interview, Eisenreich and ZCB Chief Public Prosecutor Thomas Goger spoke for the first time about child abuse that they were able to prevent with the new tool - and about the additional powers they are demanding from Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD).
Read more with Spiegel Plus
More perspectives, more understanding.
Your advantages with SPIEGEL +
Icon: Check
DER SPIEGEL as a magazine
as an app, e-paper and on the e-reader
Icon: Check
All articles on SPIEGEL.de
Exclusive texts for SPIEGEL + readers
Icon: Check
Try one month for free
Cancel anytime online
A price
only € 19.99 per month
One month for € 0.00
Try now for 0.00 € Buy nowArrow to the right
Already have a digital subscription? Register here
Restore iTunes subscription
SPIEGEL + is processed via your iTunes account and paid for with a purchase confirmation.
24 hours before it expires, the subscription is automatically renewed by one month at the current price of € 19.99.
You can cancel the subscription at any time in the settings of your iTunes account.
In order to use SPIEGEL + outside of this app, you have to link the subscription to a SPIEGEL ID account immediately after purchase.
With the purchase you accept our general terms and conditions and privacy policy.