Inside INTERPOL: The Battle Against Online Abuse of Children - Interview with Mark Beavan

Victoria Costa

In this interview, Mark Beavan, the head of INTERPOL’s Crimes Against Children unit, offers an insight into the realities of combating child exploitation on a global scale. From the challenges posed by evolving technology to the emotional toll on investigators, he illustrates how international cooperation, innovation, and public awareness are essential in protecting vulnerable children. 

INTERVIEWER: First of all, could you describe the role of INTERPOL’s Crimes Against Children unit and how it coordinates with international efforts to investigate and prevent these kinds of crimes?

MARK BEAVAN: The Crimes Against Children unit at INTERPOL is made up of a team of criminal intelligence officers, analysts, and victim identification officers with mixed backgrounds from academia, law enforcement, and science. There are 45 members of staff based in different locations around the globe—here in Lyon at INTERPOL headquarters, in Singapore at our INTERPOL Innovation Centre, and in some of our regional bureaus, including Nairobi and San Salvador.

The primary role of the team is to support law enforcement agencies across our 196 member countries, particularly specialist investigators combating online child sexual exploitation and abuse. We support them by analysing child sexual abuse material found on offenders’ devices or online platforms, including the dark web, with the aim of identifying the children involved, locating offenders, and bringing them to justice. That is our primary focus.

We also work very closely with industry and the private sector, particularly on the development and use of artificial intelligence tools. Criminals use advanced technology in their offending, and law enforcement must do the same to enhance our capabilities to track, trace, and arrest them. There are many other areas we contribute to, but those are the main ones.

INTERVIEWER: What are the biggest current challenges your unit faces in fighting crimes against children internationally?

MARK BEAVAN: One of the main challenges is the sheer volume of offending. Due to advances in technology, the amount of material—both images and increasingly video—is growing rapidly. Not only is there more content, but file sizes are much larger, which puts pressure on law enforcement systems that were originally designed to handle still photographs or older formats like videotapes. Now we are dealing with significantly larger digital files, so there is a global need for law enforcement to become more efficient and capable in handling this scale of data.

Another significant challenge is the rise in financially motivated “sextortion” cases involving teenagers. Offenders manipulate young people into sharing real or generated images, which are then used to threaten them—often demanding money under the threat of exposing those images online. We are seeing this trend globally.

Overall, the challenge can be summed up simply: staying ahead of criminals. They are constantly evolving in their use of technology, and while we are doing the same, they often remain one step ahead. The key challenge is keeping pace so that we can rescue victims and prosecute offenders effectively.

INTERVIEWER: What is one common misconception people have about crimes against children or how they are investigated internationally?

MARK BEAVAN: That’s a very good question. I think many people see this as something they would rather not think about or discuss because it is so unpleasant. As a result, there is often a belief that it is someone else’s problem to deal with.

In reality, it would be far better if everyone in society had a greater awareness of how criminals target children, particularly online. Children and teenagers are often targeted in digital spaces while the adults around them remain completely unaware. There is a misconception that “this wouldn’t happen to my child” or someone close to me.

What is really needed is more curiosity and engagement from parents, teachers, and guardians—taking an interest in what children are doing online and understanding the risks they may face.

INTERVIEWER: Is there anything INTERPOL can do to advertise this or help raise awareness?

MARK BEAVAN: One of the things we are doing is working with major global organisations to promote prevention messaging and better educate society on how to protect children from online harm. For example, we collaborate with organisations such as WeProtect Global Alliance and the Virtual Global Taskforce.

These partnerships allow us to amplify messaging and reach wider audiences. So yes, INTERPOL is becoming more involved in raising awareness, offering advice and support to families and victims, and helping people better safeguard themselves against these threats.

INTERVIEWER: When countries have different laws, priorities, or resources, what is the hardest conversation you sometimes have to have with international partners?

MARK BEAVAN: Some of the more difficult conversations involve reminding countries of commitments they have already made. For example, at our General Assembly in 2022 and in previous meetings, member countries agreed to connect their law enforcement agencies to our International Child Sexual Exploitation database and to develop specialist investigative capabilities.

However, progress varies, and some countries have advanced more than others. A key challenge is reminding governments and ministers of these commitments and encouraging them to follow through. In some cases, there may be limited political appetite, and we have to find strategic ways to unlock those barriers and gain the necessary support.

INTERVIEWER: What role do you think young people or future policymakers can realistically play in helping prevent these crimes?

MARK BEAVAN: I think it’s crucial to involve the voices of children, victims, and survivors. By listening to their lived experiences, we can better understand how they were targeted and what might have helped prevent their exploitation.

Their insights are invaluable in shaping future prevention strategies and messaging. Incorporating those perspectives will make our efforts more effective moving forward.

INTERVIEWER: In a field that deals with extremely difficult material, how do investigators protect their own mental wellbeing while still doing their job effectively?

MARK BEAVAN: Unfortunately, we do see high attrition rates among specialist investigators who do not adequately manage their mental health and wellbeing. It is essential that there is strong therapeutic support in place.

In environments where wellbeing is better protected, there are often mandatory counselling sessions for investigators working on these cases. It takes a certain level of resilience to handle this work, and most people will be affected by the material in some way.

There need to be strict policies, strong supervision, and, in my view, limits on how long individuals can work in this field—perhaps a maximum of around ten years. Regardless of how well someone believes they are coping, employers have a responsibility to protect them.

There is also more that could be done through technology—for example, using artificial intelligence to process material and reduce the amount of time investigators are exposed to it.

INTERVIEWER: What is one thing you wish more people understood about the reality of crimes against children?

MARK BEAVAN: I think it’s important to recognise that offenders—and victims—come from every part of society. One of the most common reactions when an offender is identified is, “They’re the last person I would have expected.”

We need to shift that mindset. It’s about being a little more aware and, where appropriate, more questioning of behaviours. That doesn’t mean being paranoid, but it does mean being willing to report concerns and share information between professionals and agencies rather than ignoring warning signs.

INTERVIEWER: Was there a particular experience earlier in your career that shaped the way you approach your work today?

MARK BEAVAN: Yes, there was a traumatic experience early in my career that I won’t go into detail about. What I can say is that it involved an offender whose initial account seemed plausible and, at first, led me off track.

That experience taught me an important lesson: offenders will lie, even to law enforcement. It reinforced the need to question everything, verify facts, and maintain a critical, inquisitive mindset. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career and has shaped how I approach investigations.

INTERVIEWER: If a young person wanted to work in international law enforcement or child protection, what skills would you recommend they start developing early on?

MARK BEAVAN: Technology is absolutely key. Understanding how digital platforms work and how they can be exploited by offenders is essential. If you had asked me this question 20 years ago, I would have given a very different answer, but today, that digital understanding is critical.

Equally important is having strong coping mechanisms and being able to look after your mental health. This is not a field for everyone. You need resilience, self-awareness, and the ability to recognise when you are not coping well. Without that, it would be very difficult to sustain a long-term career in this area.