Episode 25 - Following the digital footprints: Inside victim identification

Do you know what a digital victim identification officer is? In this episode of The Beat, we go behind the scenes with our very own Digital Victim Identification Officer, Ashley Crowther, who is working at the forefront of online investigations. Ashley spends his days analysing digital media, such as photos and videos, to identify and safeguard victims of child sexual abuse and bring offenders to justice. He shares how he found his way into this specialist work and how the role has taken him beyond the UK, collaborating with policing teams in the United States, Canada and Germany. We also explore how technology and AI is used to identify victims, track suspects, and combat child exploitation in the digital world and how this is ever evolving. Please note: This episode contains discussion around child sexual abuse and exploitation, and listener discretion is advised. For more information and advice on the topics discussed, please visit

You can listen to Episode 25 - Following the digital footprints: Inside victim identification online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 25 - Following the digital footprints: Inside victim identification is an episode from The Beat Podcast from Staffordshire Police by Staffordshire Police.

This episode is 34:30 long.

This episode was published on Apr 15, 2026.

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