Minors often forward child pornography without knowing that it is real abuse. Such "chain reactions" must be prevented. The German Federal and State Police Crime Prevention Unit (ProPK) is launching the "sounds wrong" campaign for this purpose.

In its current campaign "sounds wrong", ProPK is now relying on the support of two new short films and social media posts to raise awareness of the punishable distribution of child pornography in chats, closed user groups and especially in messenger services.

The clips are intended to make it clear to young people in particular: By recklessly distributing child pornography content, they can make themselves liable to prosecution. "Don't share, report!" is the message.

This means:

• Do not forward the video,
• report it to the network operator or the police and
• leave groups in which child pornography is distributed

Thoughtlessness with serious consequences - for victims and distributors

Videos and images containing child pornography are circulating in chat groups of schoolchildren across Germany. And the number of references to such content on the internet is constantly increasing - especially on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. The central contact point for child pornography at the North Rhine-Westphalia State Criminal Police Office emphasizes this in a contribution to the situation report "Youth crime and youth endangerment NRW 2019".

It can be observed more and more frequently that files are apparently not forwarded for paedosexual motives. Children, teenagers and young adults in particular often forward videos to their contacts and contact groups without giving sufficient thought to the child pornographic nature of the files shared.

The majority of them are not aware of the consequences for themselves or the recipients. Even the brief possession of child and youth pornographic images is punishable by law. Forwarding and thus distributing such images significantly increases the penalty (see: Situation report on youth crime and youth endangerment NRW 2019, page 55 f).

Further information in language suitable for young people on the punishability of the distribution and possession of child and youth pornographic material can be found in the ProPK article for children and young people at "Polizei für dich".