by Paul Gullon-Scott BSc MA MSc MSc FMBPSS
In April 2025, Europol announced the dismantling of one of the largest online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) networks ever discovered. The operation spanned 19 countries and led to the arrest of 25 individuals. Investigators identified hundreds of thousands of images and videos, including AI-generated material designed to evade detection while maintaining disturbing realism.
While the public rightly applauded the results of this extraordinary international collaboration, few paused to consider the human cost behind such operations. Specifically, the toll borne by the digital forensic professionals who sift through unimaginable material in the pursuit of justice and to safeguard those children who have been abused.
For those on the frontline of digital child protection, the task is not only technically complex but also psychologically demanding.
The Psychological Landscape of CSAM Work
Digital forensic investigators working on CSAM cases are routinely exposed to content depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Unlike other areas of forensic work, this exposure is not secondary or occasional – it is central to the role and often occurs every day. It requires repeated and prolonged engagement with traumatic material, often under intense pressure to secure timely convictions or prevent further harm to victims.
The emotional and psychological risks associated with this work are well-documented. Research has found that professionals in this field report high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to a 2023 study published in BMC Psychiatry entitled “The Mental Health of Officials Who Regularly Examine Child Abuse Material: Strategies for Harm Mitigation”, exposure to violent CSAM was significantly associated with elevated PTSD symptoms among digital forensic analysts. The intensity of the imagery, coupled with the repetitive and isolating nature of the work, can produce cumulative trauma over time.
This exposure doesn’t only affect professional performance; it can spill over into personal lives. Investigators often report a deterioration in their relationships, increased irritability, sleep disturbances, and a sense of emotional detachment. Many develop unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as emotional numbing, hypervigilance, or avoidance. This condition, sometimes referred to as “vicarious trauma” or “secondary traumatic stress,” reflects the deep emotional impact of working with the suffering of others, even indirectly.
A Culture of Silence and Stigma
Despite these realities, mental health challenges within digital forensics remain largely hidden. A culture of stoicism, fear of stigma, and concerns about career repercussions often prevent professionals from seeking help. Some worry that admitting to emotional distress may be seen as weakness or a liability, particularly in roles requiring high levels of security clearance or psychological resilience.
Organisations and agencies may unwittingly reinforce this culture by failing to acknowledge the psychological risks inherent in the role. In some instances, support structures are inadequate, poorly promoted, or simply not trusted by staff. Many investigators report feeling unsupported, isolated, and undervalued, particularly when their work is misunderstood by colleagues or the wider criminal justice system.
In this environment, burnout becomes a serious risk. Professionals can become emotionally exhausted, cynical, and disengaged—not only from their work, but from the values that initially drew them to it.
The Role of Organisational Responsibility
The impact of CSAM work on digital forensic investigators is not inevitable. With the right organisational culture and support structures, the psychological burden of the role can be managed more effectively. Agencies have a duty of care to protect not just the physical safety of their employees, but their mental well-being too.
Key strategies include:
- Trauma-Informed Leadership: Leaders must recognise the specific emotional risks associated with digital forensics and actively work to mitigate them. This involves fostering a culture of openness, compassion, and psychological safety.
- Regular Mental Health Screenings: Confidential mental health assessments should be offered routinely, not just when issues arise. Proactive monitoring can help identify early warning signs and provide support before symptoms escalate.
- Access to Specialist Support: Generic employee assistance programmes are often not tailored to the unique experiences of digital forensic professionals and the complex trauma they endure. Agencies should provide access to clinicians who understand the context of CSAM work and can offer appropriate therapeutic interventions.
- Workload Management and Rotation: Exposure to traumatic material should be limited where possible. This might involve rotating assignments, building in recovery periods, and allowing for temporary relief from frontline CSAM work without stigma.
- Training in Resilience and Coping Strategies: While no amount of training can fully inoculate individuals against trauma, building psychological understanding, healthy coping strategies, and peer support can enhance resilience.
- Case Outcome Feedback: Studies have shown that providing investigators with feedback about the outcomes of their cases, particularly those involving victim identification and safeguarding, can offer a sense of closure, purpose, and emotional reward that helps counterbalance the distressing nature of the material.
The Growing Threat of AI-Generated CSAM
The rise of artificial intelligence is creating new challenges for digital forensic investigators. AI-generated CSAM, sometimes referred to as “synthetic abuse material,” is becoming more sophisticated, realistic, and difficult to detect. Although such images may not depict real victims in a traditional sense, their production and distribution still contribute to harmful cultural narratives and may be used alongside real abuse to normalise deviant behaviours.
For investigators, AI-generated material can be just as psychologically distressing. The uncanny realism can trigger the same emotional responses as genuine material, while adding layers of ethical ambiguity and investigative complexity. Sorting real from synthetic adds to the cognitive load, time pressure, and psychological strain already present in the work.
This technological evolution underscores the urgency of equipping digital forensic professionals with appropriate mental health support not only to sustain their well-being but to ensure the effectiveness of investigations in an increasingly complex landscape.
A Call for Cultural Change
While the psychological impact of CSAM investigations has been acknowledged in academic literature and some policy discussions, much more needs to be done to bring about meaningful change. We must move beyond awareness and into action.
This begins with breaking the silence. It is vital to normalise discussions around mental health in digital forensics and create environments where professionals feel safe to express distress without fear of judgement or consequence. Training for managers and peers in how to respond empathetically to disclosures of psychological difficulty is a critical part of this process.
We must also recognise the emotional labour inherent in this field as a form of expertise. Digital forensic investigators are not only skilled professionals; they are psychological first responders, absorbing and interpreting traumatic material on behalf of the justice system and society at large. Their well-being should be treated with the same seriousness as their technical and professional competence.
Now Is The Time
The work of digital forensic professionals in tackling online child exploitation is essential and heroic. They operate at the sharpest edge of criminal justice, often hidden from public view, with little recognition. But this work comes at a cost – a cost that cannot be borne silently or alone.
As CSAM investigations become more complex and voluminous, particularly with the emergence of AI-generated content, the need to support the mental health of digital forensic investigators becomes ever more pressing. This is not simply an operational concern; it is a moral imperative.
To protect the protectors, we must invest in systems, cultures, and conversations that value mental health as much as technical expertise. Only then can we ensure that those tasked with confronting the darkest corners of the internet do not become lost in the darkness themselves.
If you’re a professional working in or alongside digital forensics and have insights, experiences, or resources to share, now is the time to speak up. Together, we can build a culture of resilience, understanding, and respect for those who do this vital work.
Paul Gullon-Scott BSc MA MSc MSc FMBPSS is a former Digital Forensic Investigator with nearly 30 years of service at Northumbria Police in the UK, specializing in child abuse cases. As a recognized expert on the mental health impacts of digital forensic work, Paul now works as a Higher Assistant Psychologist at Roseberry Park Hospital in Middlesbrough and is the developer of a pioneering well-being framework to support digital forensics investigators facing job-related stress. He recently published the research paper “UK-based Digital Forensic Investigators and the Impact of Exposure to Traumatic Material” and has chosen to collaborate with Forensic Focus in order to raise awareness of the mental health effects associated with digital forensics. Paul can be contacted in confidence via LinkedIn.
