Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards, officer in charge of New Zealand Police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand Team (OCEANZ):

NZ Police have been involved in a global operation targeting AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Operation Cumberland is the first operation of its kind, targeting a “professional” producer of fully AI-generated CSAM, based in Denmark, and the individuals across the world who paid for his content. Led by Danish law enforcement and supported by Europol, 25 arrests were made simultaneously across 21 countries on 26 February.

The Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand Team (OCEANZ) are conducting enquiries into potential offending in New Zealand. At this time no arrests have been made in New Zealand.

A significant amount of work has been undertaken internationally to track and identify individuals distributing the abuse material, which showed disturbing portrayals of computer-generated children of various ages.

While there were no real-life child victims in this case, AI-generated abuse material is a growing issue for Police around the world and there is a growing focus on those responsible for its creation.

Even when imagery doesn’t depict “real” victims, the material adds to an ecosystem that incites and glorifies the sexual abuse and harm of children. AI-generated child abuse material can be so realistic that resources are diverted from identifying real-life child victims, placing those children at ongoing risk of harm.

New Zealand Police continue to work closely with our international partners to combat the exploitation of children.

In New Zealand, creating, possessing, or distributing material that tends to promote or support the sexual exploitation of children is punishable under the Films, Videos, Publications and Classifications Act and those found doing so can expect to be identified and held to account.

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