How to Report Internet Pornography Crime

An Internet pornography crime is a crime committed on the Internet against children. This crime typically involves the use of images of children for the purposes of pornography. This is a serious crime punishable to the highest extent of the law. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) continues to work with various local and national agencies to minimize the spread of this crime. Parents play a vital role in protecting their children from Internet pornography. One way to protect children is by ensuring Internet safety, as children exposed to an unsafe Internet environment are at a higher risk for exploitation.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Reporting Internet Pornography

1. Visit the home page of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). You will find a link to this page in the resources section.

   IC3 is an initiative by the FBI, the Bureau for of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) to house and refer complaints of Internet crimes to various law enforcement agencies across the continental United States. The ICCC acts as a database made available to different law enforcement agencies, making it easier for them to investigate these crimes as they pertain to their jurisdiction.

2. Click on the "File a Complaint" phrase in red at the bottom of the IC3 main page. You will be redirected to another page containing the terms and conditions of IC3. Read the terms and conditions of this service, and be sure that you agree to them. Click on the "I Accept" button to acknowledge acceptance of the terms and conditions before proceeding to file your complaint.

3. Complete the IC3 Complaint Referral Form. The first two to three pages of the Complaint Referral Form will ask you "Incident Characteristics" questions, questions intended to better determine the nature of the crime you are complaining about. After answering the "Incident Characteristics" questions, you will be redirected to a secondary part of the Complaint Referral Form where you will have to provide information about yourself as well as information about the Internet pornography crime in the complaint form. You will also be asked to provide the name of your local police department or sheriff's office. After completing the form, you will receive instant acknowledgment that your complaint has been received and entered into the IC3 system.

   Note that IC3 mainly works as a referral system to various law enforcement agencies. Therefore, you may not hear directly from IC3 about your complaint or at all.

Tips & Warnings

• The FBI's Innocent Children National Initiative seeks to educate parents and the public about protecting children from Internet crime pornography.

• In addition to filing a complaint on IC3, you may want to also contact your local FBI office to report this crime. See the resources section to find the nearest FBI field office in your location.

References

• FBI

Resources

• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• FBI Local Field Offices