Building a Safer Online World for Kids

With over 14 years of dedicated involvement with the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, Colm Gannon has worked in close collaboration with the APAC, US, and EU Financial Coalitions Against Child Sexual Exploitation. This extensive experience has honed his expertise at the intersection of technology and child protection, equipping him to lead ICMEC Australia into the future.

His commitment to protecting the vulnerable has continued into his extensive technical development career. He was previously a Product Manager with Rigr AI, where he was involved in the software development process. This position also involved developing policies related to child protection, privacy impact assessments, and legal and ethical considerations for AI and machine learning technologies.

Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position.

I previously worked in An Garda Síochána, the Irish National Police Service, where I worked across the full spectrum of policing, from Uniform to Detective level. My passion has always been and remains technology and its use for positive outcomes. In 2010, I received a career opportunity from the New Zealand Government, which led my family and me to Aotearoa, where I worked in the Digital Safety Directorate. This role was very different, coordinating international law enforcement operations within online child sexual exploitation networks, victim identification operations, briefing government Ministers and attending the UN during transparency reports for the rights of children and throughout this, volunteering with ICMEC as a contributor of knowledge. I then became a member of the ICMEC Australia Board. When the recruitment for the CEO position was advertised, I believed I had the knowledge and skills to be a full-time member of the organisation. 

Can you tell us a bit more about what the organisation is all about?

At ICMEC Australia, we are working towards creating a world where online technology cannot be used to harm children.

We support and strengthen the professionals who detect, report, prosecute, and prevent child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA).  We are an independent not-for-profit organisation. We collaborate with various stakeholders, including financial services and corporate entities, law enforcement, policymakers, academics, and NGOs, to develop strategies that protect children from harm.

Through commitment to data-driven initiatives, training, capacity-building, and research, ICMEC Australia works tirelessly to prevent and combat CSEA crimes, aiming to create a safer world for children and young people.

Could you take us through a typical day of work for you?

My day starts early as I enjoy the silence of early mornings. I try to clear the email pile and then focus on the day’s needs before the team starts their day. I love an early start. 

I would describe myself as a people person, and I still love to talk, even over video. This enables me to have discussions with stakeholders and potential funders. The work we, as an organisation, do can be very confronting for people. A lot of my discussions are centred around the issue of the exploitation and abuse of children. Many people are unaware of its prevalence in Australia and internationally. In my conversations, I focus on solutions. Yes, the issue of exploitation and abuse is serious, but we need to work together to stop it.  I bring my stakeholders on the journey, discussing how ICMEC Australia is making an impact in protecting children, society and Australia. 

What is the biggest challenge you’ve encountered in your career, and how did you overcome it?

I have encountered this challenge numerous times in my career, and it is one word: misrepresentation. People or organisations that I have worked with in the past have misrepresented their intention to protect children and young people. It may sound strange; however, when you speak with Police Officers, Government Agencies, Private Industry, and even not-for-profit organisations, not all people are there for the right, moral, and selfless reasons. If I can prevent misrepresentation, I will call people out and encourage them to move to a different team, environment, or job. However, there have been times in my career when the organisation I was part of decided that protecting children was not a priority. I dealt with it by leaving. It was frightening to make such a significant decision, but my family supported this moral decision. Thankfully, I have had a long-standing relationship with ICMEC. Joining this organisation as a Staff member was an easy decision. Leading this organisation has been an honour.

If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on your career?

It is interesting to look back in time and see that, as a young, ambitious person, you think you know everything. One lesson I have learned, and it has taken me a while, is to listen to learn. The loudest person in the room is not always the best person to listen to. It has taken me time to even temper my own understanding of discussions and conversations. When I investigated child abuse, criminal acts and even took victims’ statements, I learnt that my silence enabled me to learn. I didn’t comprehend that this skill was just as important in meetings, discussions and engagements with my peers.

Going back to the young Colm, I would say – don’t be afraid to listen to learn in everything you do. It’s not just about gathering evidence; it’s also about gathering knowledge from others. 

How do you unwind after work?

I picked up this habit during my days of working Victim ID cases, and I have stuck to this ever since. Anytime I get a chance to unwind, I watch a Hallmark Movie! Yes, I know, crazy. I call it – I don’t need to think TV. The story lines are generally similar, the people in the movies are familiar, and the content helps me believe that there is humanity and magic in this world. My family refers to this as ‘cheesy TV’, rolling their eyes, but it brings my brain to rest when I don’t need to exert my body or think. 

Another thing I enjoy doing is using a rowing machine. I love to row and enjoy the exercise it provides. The feel of just sliding to a music track for 30 minutes. Brings warmth to my heart… and pain to my legs!

What was the last thing you watched, read or listened to?

I believe this question will provide insight into my thought process. I love reading legislation, bills, judgments and anything related to regulatory issues. I enjoy the insights into the formation of laws, interpretation by the courts and even the impact of good and poor regulation. 

The most recent thing I have read was a judgment in the High Court of New Zealand [2025] NZHC 1162 – R v W. This was a manslaughter case involving a male, 12 years of age at the time of offending, 17 years old at the time of sentencing. The sentencing notes of the Judge, the R.H. Judge ISAAC, showed how the compassion of a court can be extended to the victim and the offender in simple, easy-to-understand language. The notes, if you ever get to read them, show a moral responsibility in the application of law for the administration of justice. 

I am currently spending a lot of time reading Age Assurance technical documents, as this is an area I am working on. One podcast I would recommend is ‘The Geography of GenAI’ – Moody’s Talks – Inside Economics. Fascinating predictions!