Ontology Documentation

📚 Detailed Documentation Available: For comprehensive technical documentation, visit the hosted documentation site. You can also explore the GitHub repository for source code, examples, and additional resources.

The CAC (Crimes Against Children) Ontology Family provides a comprehensive semantic framework for modeling child exploitation investigations. This section provides detailed documentation about the ontology structure, modules, and usage.

Overview

The CAC Ontology Family consists of 30+ specialized modules organized into six domain areas, enhanced with comprehensive gUFO (Unified Foundational Ontology) integration for improved semantic precision, temporal modeling, and validation capabilities.

Namespace: https://cacontology.projectvic.org

Where the canonical ontology lives

CAC Ontology evolves quickly. The canonical source of truth is the main GitHub repository:

• Ontology modules (canonical): https://github.com/Project-VIC-International/CAC-Ontology/tree/main/ontology
• SHACL shapes (canonical): https://github.com/Project-VIC-International/CAC-Ontology/tree/main/ontology

Built on the Linux Foundation Cyber Domain Ontology (CDO)

CAC Ontology extends UCO and CASE, which are part of the Linux Foundation Cyber Domain Ontology ecosystem:

• https://cyberdomainontology.org/

Ontology Modules

Core Framework (3 modules)

• cacontology-core.ttl - Base investigation framework and lifecycles
• cacontology-hotlines-core.ttl - Hotline operations and report management
• cacontology-us-ncmec.ttl - Enhanced NCMEC integration and tip analysis

International Coordination & Global Frameworks (4 modules)

• cacontology-international.ttl - Global coordination & cross-border operations
• cacontology-training.ttl - Professional development & capacity building
• cacontology-prevention.ttl - Prevention programs & education
• cacontology-legal-harmonization.ttl - International legal framework

High-Priority Criminal Activities (5+ modules)

• cacontology-production.ttl - CSAM production operations
• cacontology-custodial.ttl - Custodial relationships & positions of trust
• cacontology-grooming.ttl - Online grooming & enticement
• cacontology-sextortion.ttl - Sexual extortion incidents
• cacontology-athletic-exploitation.ttl - Athletic coaching exploitation

Specialized Investigation (5+ modules)

• cacontology-undercover.ttl - Undercover operations
• cacontology-physical-evidence.ttl - Physical evidence & procurement
• cacontology-tactical.ttl - Tactical law enforcement operations
• cacontology-multi-jurisdiction.ttl - Multi-jurisdictional operations
• cacontology-stranger-abduction.ttl - Stranger abduction patterns

Technical Support (4+ modules)

• cacontology-forensics.ttl - Digital forensics
• cacontology-detection.ttl - Content detection & classification
• cacontology-platforms.ttl - Technology platforms & service providers
• cacontology-street-recruitment.ttl - Street-based recruitment patterns

Victim Services & Task Force Management (5+ modules)

• cacontology-victim-impact.ttl - Victim impact assessment & recovery
• cacontology-taskforce.ttl - CAC task force organization
• cacontology-sentencing.ttl - Legal outcomes & sentencing
• cacontology-specialized-units.ttl - Specialized units & advanced capabilities
• cacontology-sex-offender-registry.ttl - Sex offender registry management

Validation Components (20+ modules)

• Comprehensive SHACL validation shapes for all major modules
• Cross-reference validation and business rule enforcement

What’s new in recent releases (2.3 - 2.10)

Recent releases added or expanded modeling in areas such as:

• Missing child rescue operations and emergency disclosure requests
• Undercover operations and suspect communication patterns
• Detection-to-action operations and analyst wellbeing considerations
• Legal/sentencing expansions including appellate concepts
• USA legislative and legal harmonization extensions

Namespace and Prefixes

All ontology modules use the standardized namespace structure:

• Base Namespace: https://cacontology.projectvic.org
• Module Namespaces: https://cacontology.projectvic.org/{module-name}#
• Prefix Pattern: cacontology-{module-name}:

Example Usage

@prefix cacontology: <https://cacontology.projectvic.org#> .
@prefix cacontology-core: <https://cacontology.projectvic.org/core#> .
@prefix cacontology-taskforce: <https://cacontology.projectvic.org/taskforce#> .

Integration with CASE and UCO

CAC Ontology extends and integrates with:

• CASE Ontology: Cyber-investigation Analysis Standard Expression
• UCO: Unified Cyber Ontology
• gUFO: Unified Foundational Ontology

This integration ensures compatibility with existing cyber investigation tools and workflows while providing specialized capabilities for crimes against children investigations.

Documentation Resources

• Versioning - Version information and release history
• Full Documentation - Complete technical documentation
• Entities A-Z - Complete entity reference

Repository Documentation

Additional documentation is available in the GitHub repository:

• Architecture: docs/architecture.md - Complete system architecture and module relationships
• Design: docs/design.md - Design principles and technical specifications
• User Guide: docs/user_doc.md - User documentation and examples
• Product Requirements: docs/PRD.md - Product requirements and specifications
• Glossary: docs/glossary.md - Terminology and acronyms

Quick Links

• Getting Started - Introduction and quick start guide
• Examples - Real-world examples and use cases
• Resources - Downloads and reference materials