Cases of child sexual abuse on the internet increase in Cyprus

In the first six months of 2025, the Cyprus Police Cybercrime Unit received 100 criminal cases related to child sexual abuse materials. These figures are alarming, as statistics from recent years indicate a systematic increase in such crimes: 208 cases were registered in 2024, 203 in 2023, 237 in 2022, and 214 in 2021.

Cases involving the distribution and possession of child sexual exploitation materials fall under serious criminal offenses and are usually handled by criminal courts. Each case has unique characteristics: the nature of the materials, the amount of evidence, and the degree of involvement of the suspects vary.

A notable example occurred in May 2025. Thanks to cooperation with Europol, the police detained a man who had uploaded approximately 140 photo and video materials of a sexual nature involving children to an online platform. During a search, his mobile phone was seized, and an initial analysis already revealed two similar files.

According to Maria Pentaliotou, an officer of the Cybercrime Investigation Unit, such cases are detected in various ways: through international organizations like Europol and Interpol, through citizen complaints, and by monitoring suspicious users handled by specially trained personnel. The unit conducts a full investigation cycle before submitting cases to the courts. Pentaliotou emphasized that international cooperation is key, as many cases have a cross-border nature.

Separate concern arises from cases where materials are created using artificial intelligence technologies. Even though such images or videos are generated by algorithms, Cypriot law equates them to real materials. Moreover, Cyprus became the first country to enshrine a separate article in legislation specifically addressing such cases.

Sanctions for these crimes are extremely severe. If the victim is a child under 13 years old, the law provides for life imprisonment.