Interpol has arrested a suspected Canadian pedophile as a result of a global Internet crowdsourcing initiative to track down the elusive abuser.
Christopher Paul Neil is alleged to have traveled Southeast Asia sexually abusing underage boys, posting more than 200 photographs online during his tenure. The offender obscured his face in the photographs, however German investigators were able to pioneer digital forensics software that managed to restore the photographs and reveal the suspect’s face.
The hunt for Neil is perhaps one of the finest examples of Internet crowdsourcing, in which large large groups of people are recruited to solve a common problem. Once Interpol had restored the photographs in question, the agency posted the images online and asked the world for help in identifying the pictured pedophile. With a massive response from groups such as The Digg Community, five sources on three continents identified Neil within three days of the posting.
Should Neil be convicted, this case will set a world-wide precedent highlighting the power of the Internet for mobilizing citizens to solve some of the most serious of issues plaguing the world and eluding authorities.
