Can I report child exploitation material anonymously?

Yes. The ACCCE accepts anonymous reports, and eSafety reports can also be made without providing your identity. What matters is the information about the material or behaviour.

What if I’m not sure it’s illegal?

Report it anyway. Trained specialists assess reports — you don’t need to make the legal call yourself. A report made in good faith is never a problem.

I accidentally saw something illegal. Am I in trouble?

Accidentally encountering material online is not a crime. Don’t save or share it, close it, and report the URL to eSafety or the ACCCE so it can be removed.

I’ve seen something online involving a child

5 min readReviewed October 2026 · Internet Safety Australia Editorial Team

In short

Child in immediate danger? Call 000 now.
Report online exploitation or grooming to the ACCCE — you can stay anonymous.
Report the content itself to eSafety for removal. Don’t download or share it.

If a child is in danger right now

Call Triple Zero (000) immediately. This page is for reporting online material and behaviour — it is not a substitute for emergency help.

What to report, and to whom

What you’ve seen	Report to
Suspected online grooming of a child	ACCCE (AFP-led) — accce.gov.au
Child sexual abuse material online	ACCCE, and eSafety for removal
Sextortion or sexual extortion of a child	ACCCE and police
An adult behaving suspiciously with a child online	ACCCE — include usernames and platforms
A child in immediate physical danger	000, then police

How to report to the ACCCE

Go to accce.gov.au and use the online report form. It takes a few minutes.
Include what you can: platform, usernames, profile links, dates, and a description of what you saw.
You can report anonymously. You do not need to be certain — specialists make that call.

Important: don’t collect or share the material

Do not download, copy, forward or screenshot child abuse material — possessing or distributing it is a crime, even with good intentions. Record the URL and account details instead, and let investigators handle the material. Report the URL to eSafety as well: they can have it removed and blocked.

If a child you know tells you something

Listen calmly and believe them. Don’t press for details or promises of secrecy.
Reassure them they’ve done nothing wrong and that telling was right.
Report to the ACCCE and, if there’s immediate danger, police. Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) can support the child.

Seeing this material can be distressing

Stumbling on exploitative content is upsetting. If it’s affecting you, that’s normal — Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) or Lifeline (13 11 14) can help you process it.

Common questions

Where to report this

Report to eSafety

Cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse, and illegal or restricted online content.

Go to eSafety

Report to ACCCE

Online child sexual exploitation, grooming, and child abuse material. If a child is in immediate danger, call 000.

Go to ACCCE

Report to Police

Crimes needing a police response — threats to safety, stalking, significant financial loss, or where you need a police report.

000 emergency · 131 444 non-urgent (most states)

Go to Police

Official sources for this guide

Reviewed October 2026 by Internet Safety Australia Editorial Team. Internet Safety Australia is independent and not a government website.