Beyond the Surface Web: Digital Technologies and the Evolution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

This thesis explores the protection of children's digital rights, with a primary focus on online child pornography as a serious violation of fundamental children's rights. In an era characterized by the total immersion of minors in information and communication technologies (ICT), the research analyzes the paradox between digital opportunities and increasing risks. The paper is structured in three chapters: the first examines the evolution of pedophilia in the digital era, analyzing how social media and online games have created new spaces of vulnerability, the behavioral dynamics of offenders, and the grooming techniques used. This chapter also investigates how specific technological platforms facilitate illicit behaviors, including the role of the Dark Web in providing anonymized access to illegal content, Peer-to-Peer networks enabling direct file sharing outside traditional monitoring systems or encrypted chat rooms creating protected spaces for offender communities. The second chapter explores the main International and European legal frameworks for the protection of children online. It starts with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and a focus on the General Comment No. 25, which explains how children's rights apply in the digital environment. The chapter also presents the EU Kids Online “4C” model, which helps to understand the different online risks children may face. Finally, it introduces the Digital Services Act, highlighting the new duties of digital platforms in protecting minors and removing illegal content. The third chapter presents case studies in the European and international context, including "The BoysTown Case," and “The Kidflix Case” to evaluate the practical effectiveness of protection measures. This last chapter also includes five interviews with experts and representatives involved in the fight against child sexual abuse. The research adopts an interdisciplinary approach that integrates legal, psychological, and sociological perspectives. The ultimate goal is to provide a critical assessment of the effectiveness of current mechanisms for protecting children's digital rights and to identify possible strategies for counteraction and improvement