At the end of February 2025, a global operation against the sexual exploitation of children led to 25 arrests. "Operation Cumberland”, conducted by 19 countries and supported by Europol, is one of the first cases involving artificially generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This crime is particularly challenging because national legislation to deal with it is lacking.

Even in cases in which the content is fully artificial and there is no real victim depicted, AI-generated CSAM still contributes to the objectification and sexualisation of children. Authorities face significant challenges in identifying real victims in the face of AI-generated CSAM. These crimes therefore require both new investigative methods and tools for law enforcement and, in addition, corresponding new legislation. In this context, EU Member States are currently discussing a common Regulation proposed by the European Commission to address this new situation and protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation (→ eucrim 2/2022, 91-92).