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- Are images of nude children illegal?
Various sites can be found on the Internet where young children pose in swimwear, lingerie etc. On some of these websites, children are reduced to sex objects by the way in which they are photographed. Although these images may also send a completely wrong signal to viewers they are not punishable by law in the Netherlands.
- Can I assist in the search for websites containing images of sexual abuse of children?
No. We discourage anyone to actively search for child pornography, even if it is their aim to prevent its distribution. The reason is simply that one runs the risk of becoming the object of investigation by the police. For the same reason, we always recommend informants to delete any child pornography from their PCs.
- Can I remain anonymous when I report a case of child pornography?
Yes. Needless to say that we will not inform third parties on the identity of the person who filed the complaint.
- Can I report newsgroup articles containing references to child abuse images?
Yes, you can report specific newsgroup-postings being used for the distribution of child sexual abuse images. However we need some additional information (the so called "header" ),sucha as the sender (after "From"), the subject (after "Subject") and the date (after "Date") of the posting.
Under " How do I get my e-mail program to reveal the header information?" you will find more information about how to find header information.
- Can I report texts dealing with the sexual abuse of children?
No. Websites on which opinions are exchanged between pedophiles or on which sexual acts between adults and children are only described, but which do not contain punishable images or videos, are not punishable. The Hotline evaluates all complaints according to Article 240b Section 1 of the Dutch Penal Code. This article says that stories about sex in which fictitious children play a role are not punishable. In cases where the Hotline has any doubts about the possible punishability of an image or text, it consults with the National Police Agency.
- How can I avoid receiving spam (unsolicited e-mail) in which child pornography is advertised?
You can install a spam-filter, but this does unfortunately not always solve the problem. E-mail spamming is taken to mean the sending of unsolicited e-mail messages to a very large number of e-mail addresses. Unfortunately, the Dutch Hotline receives an increasing amount of complaints on spam messages containing references to child pornography.
- How do I get my e-mail program to reveal the header information?
It depends on your e-mail software.
To get the complete headers and message source using Microsoft Exchange, you have to:
Click the "File" menu
Click "Properties"
Click the "Details" tab
Click "Message Source"
Highlight, copy and paste everything from the "Message Source" Window by pressing Ctrl-A,
Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V.
Instructions for other popular programs you can find on the Spamcop website.
- I have discovered images of sexual abuse of children on somebody else’s PC. Can I report this to you?
No. In order to report the presence of child pornography on somebody else’s PC you may directly lodge a complaint with the vice squad at your local police station.
- Is it possible to report non-Dutch websites to you?
Yes. You may also call on us in order to report the distribution of reputed child pornography via other countries. We will evaluate whether the material constitutes a criminal offence on the basis of Dutch legislation. If such is the case, we will pass on the information to the hotline of the country in question, so that they can follow up on the complaint.
- What is illegal child pornography?
Illegal under Dutch penal law is "an image of a sexual act in which a person who clearly has not reached the age of eighteen (18) is involved", as stated in article 240b of the Criminal Code.
- Why doesn’t the Dutch Hotline actively search for child pornography?
We are an organization of civilians and have no investigative powers. Currently, the police are actively investigating instances of child pornography on the Internet.
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