Lukasz Kielban
Senior Communication Specialist
PPHS
As online threats continue to evolve, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) are under growing pressure to tackle the urgent challenge of child sexual abuse in both online and physical forms. Much is being done globally, and in Europe, the European Commission is committed to supporting LEA’s needs. Promising investigative solutions stemming from the ARICA project have shown substantial potential. The technologies were developed within the EU-funded initiative, which concluded at the end of December 2024. Now that ARICA’s two-year funding period has ended, we need to address the question: How will these tools reach full operational capability?
Introduction
Child sexual abuse remains a global crisis, with an estimated one in five children experiencing some form of abuse before turning 18 [Source]. As illegal online content continues to grow, LEAs must adapt their methodologies to identify perpetrators and safeguard victims. Addressing this urgent issue requires coordinated international efforts and continuous technological innovation.
The ARICA project exemplifies how European collaborations can bridge research, technology, and practical needs. Supported by the EU’s Internal Security Fund (ISF), ARICA developed advanced investigative solutions that will remain free for LEAs after the project’s conclusion. In the following sections, we explore the next steps to finalise its primary cutting-edge tool and outline how LEAs can benefit from it.
ARICA Project
ARICA brought together European researchers, technology providers, and law enforcement agencies to combat child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) in an increasingly complex digital landscape. Over its two-year duration, ARICA placed special emphasis on developing tools that streamline investigative workflows, support international collaboration among LEAs, and tackle surging volumes of illegal content online.
The project’s scientific team laid a strong theoretical foundation by publishing extensive research—now available on the Sparks in the Dark platform—that underpins ARICA’s technical breakthroughs. At the forefront of the project’s technical development is Rigr AI, a pioneering provider of secure, intelligent applications for the defence and government sectors. Leveraging advanced research, machine learning, and robust software engineering, Rigr AI helped translate ARICA’s objectives into operational tools.
Edward Dixon, CEO at Rigr AI, underscores the importance of bringing technology to the fight against CSAE:
“The volume of illegal content generated and disseminated across the clear web and dark web is staggering. This content (typically images and videos of child abuse, plus related text) can be used to identify victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Using these media and associated evidence can be successful, but takes time and expertise. AI can help in many ways, for example in grading evidence by severity, and by surfacing clues as to the location of the victim. ARICA automates some early stages of intelligence collection and analysis. ARICA can’t replace human intelligence, but it can help the limited number of specialised investigators working in this area to spend their time on the most promising evidence.”
By automating investigative steps early in the intelligence cycle, the ARICA solution enables investigators to focus on the most intricate elements of an inquiry, amplifying LEAs’ capacity to protect children across Europe.
Final Development
Although ARICA has demonstrated the transformative potential of its technologies, further development is needed to refine the solution for real-world application. This finalisation phase includes optimising features, ensuring scalability, and confirming compliance with legal standards. Critically, feedback from end-users will guide enhancements to guarantee that the tool integrates smoothly into existing workflows.
To facilitate this transition from prototype to operational tool, the ARICA solution is joining the Tools4LEAs initiative under the supervision of EACTDA. As Eva Škruba and Juan Arraiza Irujo of EACTDA explain:
“The main objective of the Tools4LEAs project (as well as the EACTDA association) is to facilitate the uptake of technologies for the EU and Schengen area public security practitioners fighting cybercrime, with no licence costs and access to the source code. Another primary aim of the association is to establish a long-term entity that will address this objective permanently with constant funding. EACTDA should be seen as a tool factory that focuses on the last months of the development of the pre-existing solutions or those that are already in operation but require enhancement.”
Under this programme, technology providers license their tools to EACTDA, which catalogues them and collaborates with an advisory board of end-users to prioritise further development. Upon successful evaluation and testing, these solutions are made accessible via secure repositories, ensuring they reach the practitioners who need them most.
Looking Ahead
The ARICA team delivered a near-operational tool within only two years—an impressive feat that lays the groundwork for further enhancements within Tools4LEAs. Having begun collaboration with EACTDA months before ARICA’s official conclusion, the solution is now ready to undergo the final stages of development. On average, it takes about a year for a solution to pass through EACTDA’s rigorous review cycle, ensuring reliability, security, and ease of adoption for LEAs across the EU and Schengen areas.
The ARICA project stands as a significant example of how European partnerships—combining research, technology, and operational needs—can produce innovative tools to combat CSAE. With the finalisation efforts advancing under Tools4LEAs and EACTDA, improved investigative capabilities are moving closer to practical deployment—reinforcing the EU’s commitment to equipping law enforcement with cutting-edge, trustworthy resources.
If you represent a law enforcement agency or are a practitioner interested in testing or learning more about the ARICA solution, please send your enquiry to arica@rigr.ai. Your insights and feedback will be crucial in refining this groundbreaking technology and ensuring it has a tangible impact on child protection.
Within the ARICA project, the Polish Platform for Homeland Security served as the leader of the communication and dissemination work package.
