Image Classification Assessor

Greater Manchester Police offers a fantastic opportunity in digital forensics.

Are you passionate about safeguarding children and ensuring those who pose a risk to them face justice? Do you have the resilience and determination to confront the most distressing and challenging situations? If so, we have an opportunity for you to join our dedicated team as an Image Classification Assessor.

We are a leading law enforcement agency in the UK, committed to protecting and serving our communities, especially our most vulnerable members - our children. As an Image Classification Assessor, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of children not only across our region but also in the UK and Internationally, and the apprehension of predators.

It’s an extremely challenging role, with over the shoulder support. You will work closely with specialist digital forensic practitioners and victim identification officers, who have a mutual commitment to law enforcement, to analyse child sexual abuse material in order to safeguard children and build cases against their abusers.

We utilise advanced cutting-edge technology within our Digital Forensic Investigation Unit, designed to assist with the location of child sexual abuse material and the identification of the young victims subjected to these horrific crimes. Further to the use of technology, the detection of such material requires the human expertise of extraordinary individuals who are committed to protecting children.

Experience in policing and/or child safeguarding would be beneficial but is not essential as training will be provided.

Application Process

You must upload your CV and include a separate sheet with your responses to the below questions. (Please keep your answers limited to a maximum of 300 words per question).

1. What is your motivation to do this role?

2. When have you had to manage your own feelings in a difficult situation? What mechanisms did you use to do this?

3. Tell me about a time when you have had to support an individual using empathy and compassion?

Job Summary

Following a full programme of induction and accredited training, successful applicants will follow specific guidance for the grading/categorisation of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Image Classification Assessors will undertake the review and categorisation of potentially criminal media obtained throughout police investigations.

We will provide training to a national standard on the grading of images, and the use of relevant computer software. The classified images will then be used in the digital forensic examination to support the police investigations, along with external partners in the fight against the production and dissemination of child sexual abuse material.

Main Responsibilities

• The role will involve the viewing of disturbing and distressing material, including images showing the sexual abuse of children.

• Support digital forensic examinations by accurately and consistently categorising images and videos portraying child sexual abuse.

• Apply informational tags and generate hashes to categorised images to support police investigations and the safeguarding of victims.

• Identify opportunities in online child sexual abuse investigations to identify first-generation imagery of contact abuse.

• Utilise analytical software products, databases and approved artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with image classification.

• Analyse digital forensic and intelligence reports including but not limited to media files, social media information, and Internet-based communication logs.