20 Years of Collaboration with NCMEC: How “The Smile of the Child” Protects Children in Greece

Athens, 14 October 2026

PRESS RELEASE

‘The Smile of the Child’ and the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the USA: a 20-year international partnership protecting children in Greece too

Amber Alert Hellas | CyberTipline Hellas | Meetings and Training Sessions | Initiatives and Partnerships

Following media reports that a gynaecologist has been arrested on charges of child pornography, after information was passed on to the Greek Police’s Cybercrime Division by the US-based National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the US. ‘The Smile of the Child’ highlights its collaboration with the American organisation, which has now spanned more than 20 years, and the significant results this has yielded for the protection of children in Greece.

It is emphasised that this is not the only instance in which, thanks to this collaboration, individuals have been arrested and such networks dismantled.

For the years 2025 and 2024, 16,000 and 15,000 reports, respectively, concerning the distribution of visual or digital material depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors were forwarded to the relevant Greek authorities for investigation. (more at https://globalchildexploitationpolicy.org/data-insights/greece)

A long-standing international partnership since 2006

‘The Smile of the Child’ has been working closely since 2006 with the US-based National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and is a member of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, which is also based in the US.

This two-way collaboration has made a substantial contribution to strengthening child protection mechanisms in Greece, with significant results in the following areas, amongst others:

1. Implementation of the Amber Alert Hellas programme

In 2007, ‘The Smile of the Child’ launched the Amber Alert Hellas programme in Greece, adapting it to the needs and specific circumstances of our country.

To date, the programme has been activated for more than 150 children who were missing and in serious danger, whilst the rate of their immediate recovery exceeds 95 per cent.

2. Operation of the CyberTipline Hellas online service

Since 2024, ‘The Smile of the Child’ has been operating the CyberTipline Hellas service in Greece, tailored to the needs and specific circumstances of our country.

The service allows for the submission of named or anonymous reports regarding incidents involving children at risk, for any reason, such as physical abuse, sexual exploitation, bullying and child sexual abuse material.

The reporting process is simple and takes just a few minutes. The service operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with the support of the specialist staff at the National Children’s Helpline SOS 1056.

To date, via CyberTipline Hellas, ‘The Smile of the Child’ has received a total of 1,696 reports concerning 2,072 children and young people. All reports have been forwarded to the relevant authorities.

3. International meetings and training sessions led by specialist experts from the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, in the field of child protection, for professionals and officials from the relevant Greek authorities, the Hellenic Police, public prosecutors, etc., on topics such as: cases of child abduction and exploitation involving the use of technology, and online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

4. International initiatives and partnerships

The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children has spearheaded significant initiatives, the most notable being the Partnership against Child Pornography (Financial Coalition against Child Pornography), which was launched in 2006, and the Global Health Coalition Addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation as a public health crisis (Global Health Coalition Addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation as a public health crisis), which was launched in 2012.

Both of these initiatives by the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children involved ‘The Smile of the Child’, as well as the largest companies and leading universities worldwide, across every sector. The common aim of these initiatives was to develop expertise, synergies and legislative measures internationally in order to create a safer environment for children.

This collaboration, which has now spanned 20 years, continues, with the two organisations exchanging experiences, expertise and best practice.

In this context, ‘The Smile of the Child’ will participate as a panellist in the 1st International Roundtable Discussion on Policy-Making for Child Exploitation, which will take place on 27, 28 and 29 October 2026, at the headquarters of the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in Virginia, USA.

This is the first time that NCMEC has organised this international meeting, which will focus on policy to tackle the sexual exploitation of children online.

This initiative follows on from the creation, in 2024, of the Global Platform for Policy on Child Exploitation, through which NCMEC promotes the development of policy and legislative initiatives, drawing on data from the CyberTipline service and the expertise of specialists in the field of online child sexual exploitation.