Rhiannon-Faye McDonald is Head of Advocacy at the Marie Collins Foundation. Rhiannon has a unique understanding of the experience of a victim because she herself was the victim of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA) when she was 13 years old. She has used this personal experience as a force for good, informing the work of MCF, through creating and co-ordinating the Lived Experience Group and advocating and campaigning to improve outcomes for the children and their families who are still victims of TACSA today.

She is committed to increasing awareness and understanding of the impacts of TACSA and campaigns for better support for victims and their families to support them on their recovery journey. For Rhiannon, the most important part of her role is ensuring the voice of lived experience is elevated, listened to, heard and influences work in this area, within both MCF and other agencies and organisations working in this space.

Susie is an exemplary leader and has been instrumental in the success of IWF. Since becoming CEO in 2011, she has strived to secure greater resources, funding and support for the organisation to tackle the problem of child sexual abuse head on.

 Under Susie, the IWF has built its membership from 40 to over 200 organisations (400% increase). With additional resource, the IWF has been able to remove more child sexual abuse year-on year. In 2023, IWF investigated 392,660 reports of suspected child sexual abuse imagery and took action to remove a record 275,655 webpages confirmed to contain this illegal imagery. This notes an increase of 838% in reports investigated and 1994% in reports actioned compared to 2011.

Susie has gone above and beyond in her role and has constantly sought new, innovative means to reach her objective of seeing an internet free from child sexual abuse.

Rory has spent his life working in various senior management positions with some of the most renowned global cybersecurity companies. During this time, he was responsible for building one of the first cybersecurity practices dedicated to supporting individuals and families.

However, Rory encountered a gap in this practice - many couldn't afford to pay for these services and could not get support from the police. This gave Rory the passion to make cybersecurity advice available to anyone who needed it. Rory left his job and founded The Cyber Helpline - a movement by the cybersecurity industry to provide immediate, expert cybersecurity advice to anyone experiencing malicious activity online.

To date, over 600,000 individuals have accessed The Cyber Helpline's support and thanks to Rory's work, over 300 volunteers have gained experience in the online protection space

Rory's work at The Cyber Helpline is inspiring. He has shown the power and need of cybersecurity experts in the online protection space. Through Rory's commitment and passion, he has created a community that fights online harms.

The Child Rescue Coalition (CRC) - a non-profit based in USA - has seen its 10-year anniversary this year.  CRC offers free technology to law enforcement around the world with a footprint in over 100 countries. In a world where the safety and well-being of our children are paramount, CRC have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to the cause of child protection. Through tireless efforts, innovative initiatives, and a profound sense of compassion, CRC have become a driving force in the CSEA space, developing technology that has generated the arrest of over 25,000 offenders and safeguarded countless children.

CRC has led the technology development through fostering partnerships and collaborations with stakeholders across the world including law enforcement, NGOs and governments to create a comprehensive network for child protection. CRC are at the forefront of technology and the evolution of the software and tools that are keeping pace with the changing landscape which is evident in the new and emerging tools within the CRC suite. Through the CRC vision and leadership from Bill Wiltse, the unyielding determination has transformed the landscape of child protection, lives have been saved, futures have been safeguarded and communities have become resilient in the face of adversity.

This world-leading, proactive operation between a worldwide network of law enforcement organisations, targets offenders based in the Philippines subjecting young children, often their own, to horrific sexual abuse which is live streamed around the world. It also involves targeting offenders, including those in the USA & UK, who pay for access to the abuse. The small, dedicated team has secured the arrest of over 300 targets and rescued over 200 children of all ages. As a result, over 50 crime networks have been dismantled. They have been praised worldwide for their victim-focused approach.

In terms of targeting the highest harm offenders, there is no doubt that these operations have produced the most significant impact on children being raped and abused in the Philippines and unmasked subjects around the world who use this methodology to evade detection at scale.  The dedication and perseverance displayed by officers involved, through a lengthy period of time, is nothing short of amazing - they should be proud of their achievements and collective responsibility to tackle this threat in this digital world.

Chris Hughes is the Hotline Director of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). It’s his job to recruit, train and lead a dedicated team of Internet Content Analysts and Image Assessors who are tasked with identifying, reviewing and removing countless images and videos of children suffering sexual abuse online.

Chris exists on the very front line of the fight against this child sexual abuse. His work is responsible for saving countless children from repeated victimisation and disrupting the global criminal industry. Over his 12 years of service, his contributions have earned IWF recognition as a global model of good practice by INHOPE (The Association of Internet Hotline Providers).

Thanks to his invaluable work, the UK has become one of the most hostile places in the world to host child sexual abuse with just 0.1% of content traceable to the UK in 2023, down from 18% in 1996.

He has quietly taken on one of the hardest jobs in the world, and whilst doing so has established the IWF as one of the most effective Hotlines in the world.

Chris and his team investigate reports from the public and through proactive search. Together, they assess over 7,000 reports of child sexual abuse each week. Chris has achieved all of this while championing the welfare of his team, working tirelessly to protect victims of this abuse, and those fighting to eradicate it.

The impact of his drive, commitment and dedication within UK and global child protection cannot be underestimated. He has worked tirelessly to ensure Lucy Faithfull’s vision of a world in which children live free from sexual abuse and exploitation. Since the early days, when intervention with abusers and potential abusers was even less palatable that it is today, he has been a staunch champion for preventing abuse before it happens – rather than only picking up the pieces after the fact.

Donald’s influence goes far beyond his professional accomplishments; he serves as an inspiration to all who have the privilege of working alongside him. He is greatly admired for his dedication, knowledge and supportive ways of working. His commitment to the cause is contagious.

I have never known an individual more committed to the cause they have dedicated their life to, and I cannot think of a more appropriate and deserving recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award.