The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP), an adult industry nonprofit, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Founded in 1996, ASACP operates an internationally recognized Tipline for reporting suspected child pornography and has received over 1.3 million reports to date.

Three Decades of Child Protection Efforts

ASACP was founded in 1996 by Alec Helmy as Adult Sites Against Child Pornography. In 2005, the organization rebranded to the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection, retaining its "ASACP" title while reflecting the growing diversity of its membership and mission. The organization has operated its Tipline since 1996, allowing web administrators and the public to anonymously report suspected child pornography. This Tipline processes thousands of reports monthly.

During the reporting process, ASACP collects details such as a site’s IP address, hosting and billing providers, ownership, and links to other sites. Verified "Red Flag" alerts are then sent to agencies including the FBI, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and European CSAM hotlines. ASACP has upgraded its Tipline infrastructure over the years, enabling it to gather more precise data on reports to help monitor the prevalence of CSAM and assess the success of its efforts.

The Tipline is supported by ASACP’s sister organization, the ASACP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity. This organization also funds the Restricted To Adults (RTA) labeling program, which partners with content-filtering software to offer free protection against age-inappropriate content for parents, institutions, libraries, and schools. Contributions to the ASACP Foundation are tax deductible for American businesses and may also provide tax benefits to overseas firms.

In addition to its CSAM Reporting Tipline and RTA meta label, ASACP provides digital media companies with market-specific Best Practices, a formalized Code of Ethics, and tools such as a list of banned words and phrases commonly used in CSAM web searches. This list is available in 25 languages and functions as a plugin for adult search engines, tube sites, and other platforms that depend on user-generated content, helping to filter out problematic content before it appears on sites. Other outreach materials include parental guidelines and child protection resources with international appeal.

Team and Industry Support

ASACP’s staff includes Executive Director Tim Henning, who has been with ASACP since its founding, and Operations Director Erege Macis. The team also includes Fundraising Director Michelle Marriott, Systems Manager and Developer Tanguy De Courson, and Digital Media Analyst and Writer Stephen Yagielowicz. This small team is augmented by its volunteer Advisory Council, which includes ASACP founder Alec Helmy. Other members of the Advisory Council include Brad Mitchell of MojoHost, Tony Rios of AVN Media Network, Larry Walters of Walters Law Group, Corey D. Silverstein of Silverstein Legal, Harmik Gharapetian of Epoch Payment Solutions, Stafford Kerr (Shaft) of CAM4, and Michael H. Klein of Next Step Entertainment.

A market-focused European Advisory Council also contributes, with members such as Chris Visser of DialXS, Alastair Graham from Age Checked Ltd., Jean-Michael Veen of Friends2Follow, and Steve Ball from Verifymy.io. Walters and Silverstein also share their insights with this council.

ASACP has received continued support from industry players and service providers for three decades, from AVN, ASACP’s first corporate sponsor, to Zombaio. ASACP maintains a symbiotic relationship with the adult entertainment industry, participating in various events to share its expertise and resources. It fosters connections with industry leaders, regulators, and stakeholders through networking, panels, seminars, and workshops, presenting its stance, strategies, and tools. These events span the globe and allow ASACP to reach decision-makers who can take steps to protect children from age-inappropriate materials.

The association aims to participate in relevant events, supported by ongoing sponsorship from event organizers. Other industry players organize events to support the association or launch promotions, donating part of their sales. Some companies offer ASACP members and sponsors discounts on their products and services. DialXS serves as ASACP’s Exclusive Travel Sponsor, enabling the association to attend numerous events it would not otherwise have been able to.

ASACP also builds bridges beyond these businesses by leveraging its mission, reputation, and success to protect at-risk youth. This outreach includes global law enforcement and regulatory agencies such as the FBI, U.S. Customs, Ofcom, and Interpol. It also includes the Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography, which comprises financial institutions and stakeholders such as AOL, American Express, Bank of America, Chase, Citigroup, Discover, Visa, Wells Fargo, and Yahoo.

Beyond U.S. borders, ASACP works to reshape the U.K.’s digital media landscape by working with regulators and liaising with global NGOs.

Achievements and Future Outlook

ASACP’s record of success has resulted in media coverage within the adult industry and mainstream media. A highlight is ASACP’s CSAM Reporting Tipline, which has identified thousands of illegal websites featuring underage performers and depictions of child sexual exploitation that were subsequently closed by authorities. This includes "Dreamboard" and billing firm "Regpay," two of the largest CSAM busts, which were shuttered in large part due to ASACP’s analysis, forensic identification, and reporting. These efforts help differentiate between illegal depictions and lawful depictions of "young looking" performers of legal age.

Another highlight is the association’s response to Congressional demands that the industry address children’s unrestricted access to age-inappropriate content online. The industry helped develop the RTA label, along with ongoing educational initiatives to promote its adoption. Besides its Tipline, ASACP actively advances the RTA label with improvements like the RTA Verified program, a plugin for WordPress sites, and new enhancements for 2026. It also offers translations of its website and services and is expanding into peer-to-peer and mobile sectors, including launching parental controls for Android apps. These efforts help the organization stay current with evolving technology.

ASACP has received numerous accolades, awards, and recognitions from various organizations. The organization notes that its most significant acknowledgment may come from those involved in distributing CSAM and opponents of its push for proactive corporate responsibility and self-regulation. This is demonstrated by frequent attacks on the association, its computer systems, and other resources, in retaliation for ASACP’s efforts in dismantling commercial child pornography, legitimizing the modern adult entertainment industry, and safeguarding the rights of both consumers and content creators.

Over three decades, ASACP has adapted alongside changes in technology, from early web and desktop publishing to social media, user-generated content, smartphones, streaming platforms, artificial intelligence, and modern age assurance regulations and systems. The rise of AI and generative content has been misused to produce CSAM, causing ASACP’s Tipline reports to surge and resulting in increasingly severe hacking attempts.

Building on its achievements, ASACP continues its commitment to creating a safe online environment for children without compromising the rights of consenting adults. Efforts include highlighting the efficacy of parental controls and device-based age assurance, urging compliance with the UK’s Online Safety Act and other child protection legislation, and detailing how the adult industry has a better track record monitoring user-generated content than big tech. Supported by its sponsors, members, and contributors, ASACP pledges to continue working with industry, regulators, and supporters to help keep children away from age-inappropriate materials for another 30 years.

Key Facts

  • ASACP was founded in 1996 by Alec Helmy.
  • The ASACP Tipline has received over 1.3 million reports of suspected child pornography.
  • The Restricted To Adults (RTA) labeling program is funded by the ASACP Foundation.
  • ASACP provides a list of banned words in 25 languages to help filter problematic content.
  • Executive Director Tim Henning has been with ASACP since its founding.
  • DialXS is ASACP’s Exclusive Travel Sponsor.