What can be reported? 

In the Child pornography, online sexual abuse of children category, we accept reports of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, including content depicting such abuse and exploitation.

This includes child pornography which depicts a child, i.e. a person under the age of 18, in a position or pose that may arouse sexual desire in another person. In particular, child pornography can be defined as any video, movie or photograph or other form of recording that displays sexuality in a gravely indecent manner of exposure specifically for arousing sexual desire, i.e. it shows genitalia while depicting real or simulated sexual acts using minors in either active or passive roles or showing the genital organs of minors.

The offence of child pornography can be constituted not only by the depiction of real persons under the age of 18, but also by the realistic representation of a non-existent person or persons. This means a representation that is deceptively similar to a real one, where it is not possible or reasonable for an ordinary observer to determine whether the person in the image is real or has been created by some computer application. Accordingly, representations that are obviously animated, such as cartoons, are excluded.

However, in the case of real persons, i.e. persons who can be identified and recognised on the basis of the recording, any representation may constitute the offence, it does not even have to be realistic.

Child pornography terminology refers to sexual abuse of children

Although national legislation uses the term child pornography, the Internet Hotline, in line with the practice of INHOPE member hotlines and the Luxembourg Guidelines, also uses the term child sexual abuse material parallel, as this clearly and unambiguously expresses that the act can never be considered consensual.

Examples

• Child sexual abuse material available on the open internet
• Luring intimate or pornographic footage from a child, via social media or a chat app
• Online sexual grooming of a child
• Online sexual extortion of a child

Our procedure

We also accept reports anonymously, i.e. where the person making the report has not provided their email address on the form. However, the reported content can still be examined, and we will always do so.

If the content referred to may raise suspicion of the crime of child pornography or if the report suggests that the reporting person is a minor or that a child represented by the reporting person has been subjected to online sexual harassment or abuse (i.e. the report comes from a parent or legal guardian of the child), we will immediately contact the National Bureau of Investigation of the Rapid Response and Special Police Service (hereinafter: NNI) to investigate the content in question as soon as possible.

The steps of the investigation are as follows:

1. Examining the reported content: We will investigate the content and whether it is still available.
2. Content provider verification: If the content is available and our investigation suggests that it is a child sexual abuse material, we will also look at the country in which the content is hosted.
3. ICCAM report: If the content is hosted on a foreign server, we will use the “I See Child Abuse Material” (ICCAM) secure registry to forward the URL address in the report to the hotline in the hosting service provider's country, which will take the necessary action to have the content removed.
4. Forwarding and notification to the NNI: If the content is stored on a Hungarian server could, on the basis of our investigation, raise the possibility of child pornography offence, we will contact our main partner, the NNI, within one working day and request their investigation. If the content is hosted on a foreign server and the report is made through ICCAM, we will send a notification to the NNI for information.
5. If the report clearly indicates or raises suspicion that a child is at risk at the time the report is received, we will send a priority report to the NNI.

Before filing a report, please consider the following

• Do you have a specific URL or link to the offending content that would allow the Internet Hotline to investigate your report? In this category, it is important to note that you should not take screenshots of content that is suspected to be child pornography, or store it on your device or transmit it to others. If possible, please send us the URL or link to the content.

Relevant legal standards

Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code

• Section 196 Sexual Exploitation
• Section 197 Sexual Violence
• Section 198 Sexual Abuse
• Sections 204 and 204/A Child Pornography
• Section 222 Harassment
• Section 367 Extortion