The proliferation of child pornography on the  Internet is prompting wide concern. Web sites. In  another study, focused on the availability of pornographic video files on  peer-to-peer sharing networks, a sample of 507 pornographic video files  retrieved with a file-sharing program included about 3.7 percent child  pornography videos. Our analysis of 1,286 titles and file names identified  through KaZaA searches on 12 keywords showed that 543 (about 42  percent) of the images had titles and file names associated with child  pornography images. Of the remaining files, 34 percent were classified as  adult pornography, and 24 percent as nonpornographic (see fig. In a search using innocuous keywords likely to be used by  juveniles searching peer-to-peer networks (such as names of popular  singers, actors, and cartoon characters), almost half of the images  downloaded were classified as adult or cartoon pornography. As shown in figure 3, our analysis of the CyberSmuggling Center’s  classification of the 177 downloaded images determined that 61 images  contained adult pornography (34 percent), 24 images consisted of cartoon  pornography (14 percent), 13 images contained child erotica (7 percent),  and 2 images (1 percent) contained child pornography. Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Are Beginning to Focus Resources on Child Pornography on Peer- to-Peer Networks

Because law enforcement agencies do not track the resources dedicated to  specific technologies used to access and download child pornography on  the Internet, we were unable to quantify the resources devoted to  investigations concerning peer-to-peer networks. These agencies  (including the FBI, CEOS, and Customs) do devote significant resources to  combating child exploitation and child pornography in general. Conclusions

It is easy to access and download child pornography on peer-to-peer  networks. Juvenile users of peer-to-peer networks also face a significant  risk of inadvertent exposure to pornography, including child pornography. We were unable to determine the extent of federal law enforcement  resources available for combating child pornography on peer-to-peer  networks; the key law enforcement agencies devote resources to  combating child exploitation and child pornography in general, but they do  not track the resources dedicated to peer-to-peer technologies in  particular. The Department of Justice agreed with the report’s  findings, provided additional information on the mission and capabilities  of the High Tech Investigative Unit (part of its Criminal Division’s Child  Exploitation and Obscenity Section), and offered comments on the  description and purpose of Customs’ National Child Victim Identification  Program. Appendix I: Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

determine the ease of access to child pornography on peer-to-peer    assess the risk of inadvertent exposure of juvenile users of peer-to-peer  networks to pornography, including child pornography, and    determine the extent of federal law enforcement resources available for  combating child pornography on peer-to-peer networks. Our  analysts used keywords provided by the Customs CyberSmuggling Center. Because child pornography cannot be  accessed legally other than by law enforcement agencies, we relied on  Customs to download and analyze files. Our own analyses were based on  keywords and file names only.
Why GAO Did This Study

The availability of child pornography has dramatically increased in recent years as it has migrated from printed material to the World Wide Web, becoming accessible through Web sites, chat rooms, newsgroups, and now the increasingly popular peer-to-peer file-sharing programs. These programs enable direct communication between users, allowing users to access each other's files and share digital music, images, and video. GAO was requested to determine the ease of access to child pornography on peer-to-peer networks; the risk of inadvertent exposure of juvenile users of peer-to-peer networks to pornography, including child pornography; and the extent of federal law enforcement resources available for combating child pornography on peer-to-peer networks. Because child pornography cannot be accessed legally other than by law enforcement agencies, GAO worked with the Customs Cyber-Smuggling Center in performing searches: Customs downloaded and analyzed image files, and GAO performed analyses based on keywords and file names only. In commenting on a draft of this report, the Department of Justice agreed with the report's findings and provided additional information.

What GAO Found

Child pornography is easily found and downloaded from peer-to-peer networks. In one search using 12 keywords known to be associated with child pornography on the Internet, GAO identified 1,286 titles and file names, determining that 543 (about 42 percent) were associated with child pornography images. Of the remaining, 34 percent were classified as adult pornography and 24 percent as nonpornographic. In another search using three keywords, a Customs analyst downloaded 341 images, of which 149 (about 44 percent) contained child pornography. These results are in accord with increased reports of child pornography on peer-to-peer networks; since it began tracking these in 2001, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has seen a fourfold increase--from 156 in 2001 to 757 in 2002. Although the numbers are as yet small by comparison to those for other sources (26,759 reports of child pornography on Web sites in 2002), the increase is significant. Juvenile users of peer-to-peer networks are at significant risk of inadvertent exposure to pornography, including child pornography. Searches on innocuous keywords likely to be used by juveniles (such as names of cartoon characters or celebrities) produced a high proportion of pornographic images: in our searches, the retrieved images included adult pornography (34 percent), cartoon pornography (14 percent), child erotica (7 percent), and child pornography (1 percent). While federal law enforcement agencies--including the FBI, Justice's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Customs--are devoting resources to combating child exploitation and child pornography in general, these agencies do not track the resources dedicated to specific technologies used to access and download child pornography on the Internet. Therefore, GAO was unable to quantify the resources devoted to investigating cases on peer-to-peer networks. According to law enforcement officials, however, as tips concerning child pornography on peer-to-peer networks escalate, law enforcement resources are increasingly being focused on this area.