Chris Hughes, IWF Hotline Director, said: “I always say that we’re a group of ordinary people doing an extraordinary job. Our Hotline team does heroic work, tirelessly removing sexual abuse images and videos online that repeatedly victimise children every day.
“The IWF is a unique environment, staffed by a dedicated and diverse team of analysts and image content assessors that I have the honour to lead as Hotline Director. They do one of the most difficult yet rewarding jobs in the world, leading the global fight against online child sexual abuse.
“The new Head of Hotline will lead our front line team and we’re looking for someone with compassion, resilience and the strategic capability to lead in one of the most challenging and meaningful spaces in the digital world.”
In 2024, the IWF confirmed more than 290,000 reports of child sexual abuse imagery. In 245 instances, the webpages contained AI-generated child sexual abuse content, an increase of 380 per cent on the 51 seen in 2023. The AI reports equated to 7,644 images and a small number of videos, reflecting the fact that one webpage can contain multiple examples of illegal material.
Most of these images (39%) were assessed by IWF analysts as Category A, depicting the most severe type of sexual abuse.
The Hotline continues to monitor the misuse of AI and other concerning trends and the Head of Hotline will work closely with global tech companies, governments and law enforcement to share data and expertise to drive change online and prevent the abuse and exploitation of children.
A former Chief Constable and National Police Chiefs' Council lead for child protection has emphasised the opportunity for impact that the Head of Hotline role holds.