On September 23, law enforcement in Târgu Mureș, Romania, carried out an operation that represents the first law enforcement supported action to come directly from the partnership between Our Rescue and Child Rescue Coalition in Europe, marking a milestone for both of our organizations.
It started with training. Thanks to Child Rescue Coalition’s technology and training for investigators in Romania and Moldova, law enforcement was given the tools to identify people sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) online. That training helped investigators build this case and several others across the country.
Our Rescue’s team was on the ground supporting our law enforcement partners during the operation. Romanian investigators presented the evidence to a judge, who authorized the search.
Investigators seized computers and storage devices. According to DIICOT prosecutors, an authorized examination of just one device found approximately 17,000 images and 150 videos of CSAM. Prosecutors ordered the detention of the 49-year-old suspect and asked a judge to remand him in custody for 30 days. We expect formal charges to follow.
This is only the beginning. The operation has already opened the door to new investigations, with several cases now active across Romania and Moldova.
This is what partnership looks like. Child Rescue Coalition brings a highly effective technology and training program. Our Rescue brings direct operational support to the international law enforcement professionals who investigate and prosecute these crimes. Together, we are a force magnifier in the fight against the global spread of CSAM. This is more than collaboration. We believe it is a uniquely complementary partnership, where each organization’s strengths depend on and amplify the other’s.
Behind every file is a real child. They are who we work for. Together.
About Child Rescue Coalition
Child Rescue Coalition (CRC) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
CRC develops and provides innovative technology and intelligence, free of charge, to law enforcement agencies worldwide, enabling investigators to identify and apprehend individuals who sexually exploit children and build stronger cases to bring them to justice.
CRC Technology provides law enforcement with a comprehensive view of the online networks used to download, share, and distribute child sexual abuse material, helping investigators identify the individuals who pose the greatest threat to children. Law enforcement officers in all 50 U.S. states and 106 countries have been trained to use CRC’s technology to proactively identify and target child predators before they can harm another child.
Through partnerships with law enforcement and child protection professionals around the world, CRC’s technology has contributed to the arrest of more than 18,000 child predators and the rescue of more than 4,000 children from sexual exploitation and abuse.
CRC works alongside a global network of child exploitation investigators, police officers, digital forensic experts, prosecutors, and child welfare professionals. Together, these partners transform intelligence into action, identifying those who seek to exploit children, protecting children in immediate danger, strengthening investigations and prosecutions, and advancing a future where every child can grow up safe from sexual abuse and exploitation.
Learn more at childrescuecoalition.org
About Our Rescue
Our Rescue is a global nonprofit working to end human trafficking and child exploitation while empowering survivors to reclaim their lives and thrive on their healing journey. We partner in this fight with nonprofit organizations, law enforcement, governments, and supporters who share our vision of a world free from human trafficking and child exploitation.
Our Rescue provides resources, training, technology, and operational support to law enforcement agencies working to identify victims, pursue offenders, and build stronger cases. The organization also supports survivor care partners with the capacity, expertise, and resources needed to help survivors heal and rebuild. Through training and prevention efforts, Our Rescue works to educate communities and reduce vulnerability before exploitation occurs.
Together with a global network of partners, Our Rescue works as a collective and convener, boldly fighting to eradicate human trafficking and child exploitation everywhere.