Child exploitation material

Child sexual abuse includes image-based abuse

There are 2 main types of image-based abuse: child abuse images and intimate image abuse.

What is child exploitation material?

Child abuse images include images of a child in circumstances that are abusive, offensive or sexual. The law recognises that children cannot consent to these types of images.

It is illegal to make, share or possess child abuse images. This can include texting or emailing child abuse images, accessing the images online or having them saved on a phone or computer.

Child abuse images can include altered images and graphics as well as unaltered pictures.

What is intimate image abuse?

Intimate image abuse includes recording and sharing an intimate image without consent. This can include images of a person’s private parts or a person engaged in a private act.

Depending on the person’s age and what the image shows, the image may also be considered a child abuse image. Some images are not called ‘child abuse images’ under the law, but still involve intimate image abuse, because consent has not been given to record or share the image.

Intimate image abuse can include altered images and graphics as well as unaltered pictures.

The laws about image-based abuse are complicated. Different states and territories and the Australian Government each have different laws. If you think you may be a survivor of child abuse images, please call knowmore’s free advice line for help on 1800 606 762.