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Uncovering Illegal or Offensive Material
 Police
officers within Sussex can only take direct action where the material happens
to fall within the jurisdiction of Sussex Police.
It often happens that people report matters to us that turn out to
have the offenders and offence committed in another country. However,
you should be mindful if:
- The persons who created this material are in the UK.
- The material is downloaded onto computers in the UK.
- It is possible that it could be evidence of criminal offences
committed in the UK.
- It is possible that it could be evidence of crimes committed
by a UK citizen travelling abroad. Then it could be a matter for
a police force within the UK, although not necessarily Sussex
Police.
Advice
If you come across illegal material, please do not contact Sussex
Police directly. Instead, contact the Internet
Watch Foundation (IWF).
The IWF has a specific remit to operate a hotline for members of the public to report incidences of illegal online content defined as:
- images of child abuse hosted anywhere in the world;
- criminally obscene images hosted in the UK;
- criminally racist content hosted in the UK.
If they decide any action is needed, they will contact the Internet
Service Provider (ISP) or the police, who can take appropriate action.
It's worth remembering that evidence of illegal or offensive material
can be detected even after it has been deleted from a computer.
The IWF are qualified to judge the illegality of material and will report matters
to the relevant police force. |
Our guidance for parents and children. Also available to download and print.
We
put an FAQ together to answer your common computer questions.
