New images Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object
Europol, Stop Child Abuse Trace an Object - help ID victims.
- Thread starter dotr
- Start date
Welcome to Websleuths!
Click to learn how to make a missing person's thread
Click to learn how to make a missing person's thread
As always, big thanks for your contributions here, Ngaio!
Do you know where this t-shirt is sold?
Send informationImage 1 of 25
Bit of hope
Life is a long lesson in humility.
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2016
- Messages
- 11,880
- Reaction score
- 36,824
Totally impressive!
Awesome, fascinating article, thanks!
A tidbit..
Two Europol StopChildAbuse Images Geolocated: Part I — Madagascar
December 5, 2019
By Carlos Gonzales
"In this new article, we will show how two new batches of images published by Europol, Group ImageG13 and Group ImageC20, have been respectively geolocated to Madagascar and Cambodia. Both locations were found to be in tourist destinations, close to hotel facilities and very likely related to sex tourism. We will present a summary of the process we followed to confirm these locations and the likely time when the pictures were taken. This is Part I of the investigation and it will deal with the case in Madagascar. The upcoming Part II will address the case in Cambodia.
Figure 1: Group ImageG13 (left) and Group ImageC20 (right) as published by Europol on their website
Nosy Kely, Madagascar
1: The Location
Group ImageG13 was geolocated to coordinates (-20.301825, 44.266543) in Nosy Kely, a small village south of the town centre of Morondava, a city in Madagascar.
Figure 2: Group ImageG13 A & B as published by Europol on their website #StopChildAbuse #TraceAnObject. The group of images was geolocated to the village of Nosy Kely, Madagascar; just south of the town of Morondava. The red pointer indicates the approximate spot where the images were taken from. Google satellite image, 2004
2: Initial Observations
– After analysing ImageG13-A & B from Figure 2, it was determined the two could be joined to form a panoramic view of the landscape. The images were edited to obtain Figure 3. We will call this edited version ImageG13 in the text for the purpose of clarity.
Figure 3: Group ImageG13 edited and joined to obtain a wider view of the beach
– The landscape shown on ImageG13 was believed to be a beachfront.
– A row of pine trees and a group of palms were observed to the left and the right of ImageG13 respectively. The landscape showed no sign of high elevations or mountains on the horizon.
– The area covered by grey sand was large and split by a line of water along the beach. Three options were initially considered: water remaining during a low tide, flowing water coming from a river mouth or a combination of both. A few tree branches were also observed in the water body. These were likely to be mangroves as seen in Figure 4. This increased the possibility of a river mouth in the vicinity."
Coincidentally this article in a local paper describes how they look for little clues in photos/video to help ID the location of the victims...rbbm.
A locker, a bird's chirp: How tiny clues help solve child sex cases | The Star
Dec 6 2019
"FAIRFAX, Va. - It was the odd-looking locker handles that caught their eye.
Investigators spent hours poring over graphic images of little boys changing in and out of their swimsuits at what looked like a YMCA. They were hunting for any clue to help them identify the location — and ultimately, the victims and the person who exploited them.
Then they noticed that the locker handles had unusual plastic hooks. They scrubbed the photos to remove the images of children, then sent the pictures to locker manufacturers. One of them recognized the lockers and said they had been installed at YMCAs. Eventually, investigators matched the photos to a YMCA in Sandusky, Ohio."
"They look for unlikely clues that help them identify the children and bring their abusers to justice. In one case, it was the loud, persistent chirping of a bird. Another time, it was unusual playground equipment.
“We are looking at the hidden details, the things people aren’t looking at,” said Special Agent Erin Burke, the section chief."
The cases come to them from local police, or international investigators who notice American victims. It can take two weeks, two days, two years to identify the children. Some they can’t find. Those children haunt them.
In many cases, graphic images are accompanied by everyday shots of the child.
“They want to show they have access to a child,” Burke said. “So the ‘before’ images become a part of the story for them almost as much as the graphic images.”
A locker, a bird's chirp: How tiny clues help solve child sex cases | The Star
Dec 6 2019
"FAIRFAX, Va. - It was the odd-looking locker handles that caught their eye.
Investigators spent hours poring over graphic images of little boys changing in and out of their swimsuits at what looked like a YMCA. They were hunting for any clue to help them identify the location — and ultimately, the victims and the person who exploited them.
Then they noticed that the locker handles had unusual plastic hooks. They scrubbed the photos to remove the images of children, then sent the pictures to locker manufacturers. One of them recognized the lockers and said they had been installed at YMCAs. Eventually, investigators matched the photos to a YMCA in Sandusky, Ohio."
"They look for unlikely clues that help them identify the children and bring their abusers to justice. In one case, it was the loud, persistent chirping of a bird. Another time, it was unusual playground equipment.
“We are looking at the hidden details, the things people aren’t looking at,” said Special Agent Erin Burke, the section chief."
The cases come to them from local police, or international investigators who notice American victims. It can take two weeks, two days, two years to identify the children. Some they can’t find. Those children haunt them.
In many cases, graphic images are accompanied by everyday shots of the child.
“They want to show they have access to a child,” Burke said. “So the ‘before’ images become a part of the story for them almost as much as the graphic images.”
LucyOso
Verified Registered Nurse
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2011
- Messages
- 2,052
- Reaction score
- 4,137
Regarding this photo, can anyone tell if the words on the bottom are written on the shirt or printed? They look to me like they were written on there, and the shirt itself looks like something that somewhere like Limited Too or the Children's Place would've sold circa 2004-2006, but I can't specifically place it. Any thoughts?
Girl Power
X-perience the 21st century ...They are printed as part of the shirt when purchased.
You can absolutely see a side profile of a man in this photo. Illuminated and reflected with the light he’s holding. I am at very bad at manipulating photos. Can someone filter it better?
Filly
KICKING AND SHINING
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2007
- Messages
- 20,531
- Reaction score
- 18,114
Huge thanks. Amazing. So much information. Urging folks to take a look at Ngaio's share.
Again, fascinating- thanks!
"Part II of the investigation analyzes another batch of images, ImageC20, which have been geolocated to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Similarly to the previous case, the location was found close to a hotel building and is most probably related to sex tourism, just like the image in Madagascar is also likely related.
On this occasion, the city district investigated was found to be visited by thousands of local and international tourists during a yearly festival. The amount of images recorded by visitors allowed us to build a timeline to chronolocate ImageC20 by observing a nearby construction site as a reference. The preparation of a 3D model in conjunction with solar data and shadow analysis allowed us to estimate the approximate year, month and time of the day when ImageC20 was taken.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
1. The Location:
Group ImageC20 was geolocated to coordinates (13°21’24.90″N 103°51’31.60″E) in Siem Reap, Cambodia at the level of the Wat Bo village in the city centre.
Figure 21: Group ImageC20 A,B & C as published by Europol on their website #StopChildAbuse #TraceAnObject. The images were geolocated to Siem Reap, Cambodia near the Wat Bo village (bottom). The red mark indicates approximately where the pictures were taken: an empty plot of land now occupied by a shopping centre and situated next to a hotel formerly known as the “Angkor Sayana Hotel & Spa”.
annemc2
her name is Suzanne Marie Sevakis
That is some absolutely mindblowing detective work. It was somewhat difficult to follow it just reading - I can't imagine how much time and effort was put into gathering the actual data! Wow.
New images -> Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object
- Do you recognise the logo on this t-shirt?
Send information">
Do you recognise the logo on this t-shirt? - Is this t-shirt for teenagers familiar to you?
Send information">
Is this t-shirt for teenagers familiar to you? - Can you help us identify in which country this piece of clothing is sold?
Send information">
Can you help us identify in which country this piece of clothing is sold? - Do you have information regarding the depicted wristband?
Send information">
Do you have information regarding the depicted wristband? - Do you know where this t-shirt is sold?
Send information">
This item was placed on a sofa on which a child was abused. Do you recognise this item?
Is this porch familiar to you?
Send informationImage 9 of 20
Do you know where is possible to buy this vest?
Send informationImage 8 of 20
sleuther0192837465
Stand up for what is right even if you stand alone
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2017
- Messages
- 2,209
- Reaction score
- 18,579
I see a man in a sitting position, facing us. He is wearing a dark colored hat (black?), a hooded sweat shirt (possibly a zippered one) with a logo on it (can not make out the logo). There is a small child standing directly in front of him with short hair, facing him. Attaching the zoomed in screen shot.
ETA: Was only able to mess with the lighting, but it looks a bit clearer now.
Attachments
Last edited:
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,181
“As of October 25, 2019, Europol has received more than 24,000 tips, which have led to the identification of nine victims and the prosecution of two offenders.”
Congratulations to Bellingcat for the well deserved recognition by the European Press !
From Ngaio's link, thanks..
''April 6, 2020
By Eliot Higgins
Carlos Gonzales, Bo, Daniel Romein and Timmi Allen have been nominated for the European Press Prize Innovation Award.
The piece ‘Europol’s Child Abuse Image Geolocated in Ukraine: A Forgotten Story Hidden Behind a Landscape’, published by Bellingcat, is on the shortlist for the European Press Prize. During the presentation of this year’s laureates, that will take place on June 11th, the winners of the European Press Prize 2020 will be announced in 4 categories (+ one Special Award). This is the 4th time Bellingcat investigations have been shortlisted for the European Press Prize.''
New items. Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object