The Australian Federal Police (AFP), through the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), has taken on the chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) for the next three years.
The VGT, a global alliance of 15 law enforcement agencies, has been tackling the growing threat of child sexual abuse, particularly online, since its establishment in 2004. This international collaboration was born from the increasing danger of offenders targeting children through online social interactions and travelling abroad to commit abuse.
The AFP has previously chaired the VGT between 2009 and 2012. Since then, the landscape has evolved, with the threat becoming more complex and the rise of the ACCCE, which saw a significant spike in reports of online child sexual exploitation. In the 2023-24 financial year alone, the ACCCE received 58,000 reports, an increase of approximately 18,000 from the previous year.
Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough, Chair of the VGT, highlighted the global scale and complexity of online child sexual exploitation, noting that technology allows offenders to operate without geographical limits. “The Virtual Global Taskforce provides a collaborative and united approach to tackling child sexual abuse,” she said.
“A collaborative approach is essential as technology allows offenders to operate without geographic limits.”
The VGT’s mission includes knowledge exchange, global influence, threat scanning, and collaboration across borders to combat online and offline child sexual abuse. The AFP, working alongside the VGT Board of Management, will continue to drive innovative solutions to tackle this ever-evolving threat.
The VGT now includes 15 law enforcement agencies, including those from the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Colombia, the Philippines, the UAE, and several other nations. The AFP assumed the chair on 1 November 2024, taking on this crucial responsibility for a three-year term.
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