Bareskrim Pushes for Child Facial Database to Combat Online Sexual Exploitation
The Directorate of Women and Children Protection and Trafficking in Persons (PPA-PPO) of the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) is urging the government to create a child database based on facial recognition. The aim is to accelerate the identification and rescue process for children who are victims of crime, particularly sexual exploitation in the digital realm.
The Head of the Operational Development Subdivision of the PPA-PPO Directorate at Bareskrim, AKBP Ema Rahmawati, revealed that the absence of child identity data integrated with facial recognition features is a major obstacle for the police in following up on crime reports. So far, identity tracking through population data has only been effective for adults who already possess identity cards (KTP).
"Once we receive information, we analyse it. However, we often cannot follow up because we do not know where the suspected victim is located. We do not yet have facial-based data on Indonesian children," Ema stated during a discussion in Jakarta on Monday (13/7/2026).
She explained that the urgency of this database is reinforced by the high volume of reports on child sexual abuse in cyberspace. Each year, the Indonesian National Police receives around 1.5 million pieces of information related to child sexual exploitation from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline.
Ema noted that the majority of these reports only include evidence in the form of photos or videos of the victim’s face without complete identification. Without a robust facial database, she said, investigators struggle to determine the victim’s location to conduct outreach and provide protection to the victim’s family.
Perpetrators typically target children who lack an understanding of digital risks, offering payments of around Rp200,000 to Rp300,000 or assistance with online shopping. In return, the victims are asked to send sexual visual content or images of their private body parts.
In addition to data infrastructure, the PPA-PPO Directorate is also proposing the formation of a special integrated task force to handle online child sexual exploitation. This model refers to best practices in several neighbouring countries and Australia.
Ema mentioned that countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia already have special task forces involving multiple stakeholders. In Australia, cases are handled in a single dedicated building with a clear division of authority.
"With a task force, case handling can be accelerated, including victim rescue efforts. As soon as a report is received, it is immediately executed, processed, and coordinated with the police in the relevant region for immediate outreach," she concluded.