Investigating Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) is among the most vital and emotionally taxing roles in digital forensics. While their work delivers justice and protection for the most vulnerable, it often comes at a personal cost.
There’s growing awareness across the digital forensics community that supporting investigator well-being is just as important as solving cases. ICAC professionals regularly deal with high caseloads, long hours, and constant exposure to traumatic content involving child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. The cumulative stress of sifting through explicit images and footage, coupled with pressure to work quickly, places investigators at risk of burnout, secondary trauma, and long-term emotional distress.
Studies increasingly show elevated rates of PTSD-like symptoms among digital forensics professionals investigating these crimes. The field demands resilience, but it also requires proactive mental health support. That’s where technology can make a meaningful difference.
Leading DFIR technologists Detego Global believe tools should accelerate investigations and protect the people conducting them.
Technology Designed for Investigator Well-Being
Detego Global has worked closely with ICAC, CSAE (Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation), IIOC (Indecent Images of Children), and offender management teams to build a platform that reduces exposure, streamlines workflows, and supports sustainable casework. Several features were developed with direct input from frontline professionals.
Minimising Exposure with Smart Visual Controls
To maintain forensic integrity while minimising the psychological burden of viewing traumatic material, Detego technology includes:
- Selective Image Blurring and Video Frame Extraction, which soften visual triggers and allow investigators to review evidence without prolonged exposure to disturbing content.
- Optional Thumbnail Removal, which prevents automatic previews of graphic images.
Speed Without Sacrificing Accuracy
The Xpress HashScan Mode in Detego Field Triage rapidly identifies illicit content, cross-referencing millions of known child abuse images and videos by leveraging Project VIC and CAID (Child Abuse Image Database). Investigators can quickly triage devices and zero in on relevant evidence – up to 6x faster than before – without manually reviewing every file.
Using semantic search and AI-powered “show similar” tools, the Detego platform helps pinpoint images based on context or appearance (e.g., “distressed child” or “man with child”), streamlining searches while reducing unnecessary exposure.
Targeted Analysis Through Automation
Detego Analyse AI+ further supports well-being by automating time-consuming tasks, reducing the cognitive load and improving the efficiency of analysis. Investigators can:
- Use face recognition to match suspects, victims, or persons of interest in large datasets in seconds.
- Apply advanced semantic searches to go beyond keywords, identifying concepts and contexts, or refine searches by location, emotion, or action (e.g., detecting a distressed child in a warehouse).
- Leverage swift metadata analysis to pinpoint AI-generated pictures and videos.
- Use AI transcription, which accurately converts audio and video files into searchable text, removing the need to listen to hours of distressing content.
What’s more, Detego Global partners with Project VIC to deliver full integration of the Project VICSAFER model and Safer Viewing officer safety technology. VICSafer is designed to analyse large volumes of unknown images and videos encountered in child sexual abuse investigations, helping police locate files that have not yet been identified by law enforcement or recorded in a hash database. Together with Safer Viewing, which blocks out harmful content while still allowing examiners to conduct their review, this integration reduces investigator exposure to traumatic material without compromising the integrity of the investigation.
Streamlining Admin to Reduce Stress
Detego Global’s all-in-one digital forensics platform also addresses the administrative pressures that contribute to burnout. With tools like Detego Case Manager, teams can manage evidence, workflows, roles, and reporting in a centralised system. Combined with field-ready triage, data extraction, and analytical tools, this structure streamlines data collection and reduces decision fatigue.
Whether in the lab or on-scene, investigators have access to a consistent, flexible platform that supports faster resolutions and more manageable caseloads.
Protecting the Protectors
With the right technology, it’s possible to accelerate digital investigations without compromising investigator well-being. In the words of one ICAC investigator:
“Not only did I find the material needed, but Detego pulled the usernames and passwords matching the cyber tip in no time at all. This tool is going to be part of our workflow for a long time.”
Such feedback reflects the value of technology that’s both powerful and empathetic, designed to safeguard those who protect others. Detego Global is proud to offer ICAC professionals solutions that reduce exposure, improve efficiency, and foster resilience.
Organisations can experience Detego technology through a free 30-day trial and see first-hand how these tools safeguard investigators’ mental health while accelerating critical investigations.
As part of its commitment to ICAC investigators, Detego Global provides exclusive offers, including bulk licence packages and specialist training programmes. Get in touch today to learn more.
