A recent investigation by the BBC has concluded that child abusers are sharing images and videos online using technology designed to preserve their anonymity.

Fears of child abuse within the 'Dark Net'According to their report on one particular network, as many as ten thousand users are freely accessing this harmful content with the intent to distribute without the fear of being caught granted by the advanced technology.

Specialist networks such as The Onion Router (Tor) are used to access the Dark Net. Tor allows users to split up the data they send and receive across many of its network nodes, encrypting the data so that it cannot be traced back to any one user who accesses it.

Thinking of the internet as an iceberg, there’s a section above the water which can be tracked and searched by engines such as Google and Bing – these are the websites which we use every day. However, this portion of ‘findable’ websites may account for only 10% of the total of what’s accessible by savvy internet users – the other 90% is below the searchable surface.

Reported uses for this 90%, known as the Deep Net or Dark Net, vary in degrees of legality and taste. While some users are able to communicate via Tor, for example in countries where freedom of information is discouraged – some countries with oppressive regimes restrict the use of internet altogether – others can use it to share and sell illegal information and services such as contract killers or drugs.

Attempts to shine a light inside the Dark Net by intelligence agencies have so far been mostly unsuccessful, although an operation led by the FBI last autumn was successful in bringing down the notorious Silk Road; a website which made millions in allowing users to traffic drugs and other illegal substances akin to a black market eBay.

The latest breakthrough came as the NSA were able to use vulnerabilities within browser software to identify Tor users by obtaining their personal IP addresses. This has not yet extended to a network breach, however, meaning that more security-conscious Dark Net users have been able to remain anonymous. The newly-formed National Crime Agency is looking to crack down on those who share indecent materials in conjunction with specialist tech units by attempting to widen these breaches.

Christine Sands, a specialist solicitor in child abuse compensation claims at West Yorkshire law firm Jordans Solicitors, said; “Recently the National Crime Agency have reported the arrest of 660 pedophiles with around 9,172 computers, phones and hard drives being searched. At Jordans we welcome the news and are pleased that the NCA has shown a positive step towards the detection and arrest of offenders trading in images of sexual abuse on the internet and dark net.”

While the Dark Net continues to keep its users anonymous, whatever their motives, those keen to crack down on its more nefarious ends – including the thousands of known child abusers – will have to keep searching for an answer.