Kripos deploys new facial-search tool, identifies over 190 child victims

Kripos has launched a new investigative software named Ansiktssøk, which compares facial features from child sexual-abuse material with images in the national passport and police photo registers. The system is now available to every police district and has already been used in a large Nordland investigation, where it helped identify more than 190 children depicted in illicit recordings. Prior to the tool, investigators spent thousands of hours manually cross-checking limited clues such as names, ages and locations.

The new method provides a shortlist of candidate identities, allowing officers to focus on additional contextual evidence. Kripos plans to incorporate historic passport photos to address the problem of children’s changing appearances. Staff handling the disturbing material receive mandatory psychological support throughout the process.