CSAM is not only a record of abuse in the past, it is an engine of present-day stalking and harassment.
The child sexual abuse material survivor as homo sacer: Bare life under cyber-libertarianism
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) survivors can be considered politically abandoned under the internet’s dominant ideology of cyber-libertarianism. While producing, sharing, or possessing CSAM is illegal in almost every country, in practice, the global internet infrastructure has created a zone where law is effectively suspended and offenders often act without punishment.
This report, conducted by C3P researchers and Prof. Michael Salter, presents data related to three women, known as Jane Doe 1, 2, and 3, whose sexual abuse was recorded as children and remains among the most widely circulated CSAM online. By examining thousands of conversations among offenders on forums on the Tor Network, this report found that the Jane Does were glorified and treated as cultural icons. Some offenders actively sought out the survivors’ personal information, emphasizing that CSAM is not only a record of abuse in the past, but also an engine of present-day stalking and harassment. However, these harms are not inevitable: change is possible.
Read the report
Recommendations for change
- Proactive detection and removal of CSAM, not just reliance on user reporting
- Specialized support services for survivors, including safety planning, financial compensation, and mental health care
- Stronger disruption of offenders’ forums on Tor that normalize and promote sexual violence against children
About Prof. Michael Salter:
Prof. Michael Salter is the Director of Childlight University of New South Wales (UNSW), the Australasian hub of Childlight, the Global Child Safety Institute, which undertakes research to impact child sexual abuse and exploitation. Childlight UNSW is based in the School of Social Sciences at UNSW, where Prof. Salter conducts national and international research on child sexual exploitation, gender-based violence and complex trauma.