Interpol is to set up a special task force to tackle a growing problem of paedophiles using fake "modelling" sites on the Internet to gain access to children.
The sites do not contain sexually graphic images but serve as a front, enabling paedophiles to contact the site owners and gain physical access to the so-called child models, or to buy images of the children being abused.
"This trend requires the urgent attention of law enforcement, but the significant investigative resources required are simply not available in most national police forces, which is why Interpol is launching Project Guardian," Ronald Noble, head of the world police body, said.
He said officers on the task force would also investigate the involvement of organised crime in many of the sites.
Interpol said it would spend €1 million to launch Project Guardian, recruiting two police experts for two years and funding six international coordination meetings.
The agency has built up a vast database of images and uses recognition software to establish links between victims and crime scenes, even when the photos are taken in anonymous indoor settings.
Interpol says the database has so far helped to identify and rescue more than 500 victims around the world.