The latest data from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reveals a record rise in UK children reporting online sexual extortion, with the Report Remove service now handling an average of nine cases a week. In 2025, the helpline saw a 66% increase in self-reports from under‑18s, confirming 1,175 cases involving harmful imagery — more than a third linked to sexually coerced extortion. Criminals are increasingly exploiting young people’s nude imagery to demand money, further content, or compliance, often using aggressive threats and personal information to create fear and control. Report Remove, run by the IWF in partnership with Childline, allows young people to block or remove nude images of themselves from the internet — even before they are shared. The majority of sextortion cases involved boys aged 14–17, highlighting a growing trend in targeted online abuse. Childline counsellors continue to support children facing blackmail, fear, and isolation. The service remains free, confidential, and available to any young person worried about their imagery being shared online.
IWF supports the Online Safety Act by helping adult sites detect, remove, and prevent child sexual abuse imagery online.
IWF reveals 2024 as the worst year for online child sexual abuse imagery urging the Prime Minister to strengthen the Online Safety Act and close critical loopholes.
Tech Secretary sees ‘heartbreaking’ scale of online child sexual abuse on IWF hotline visit as ‘transformational’ online safety rules come into effect
IWF analysts uncover platform hosting chatbot “characters” designed to let users simulate sexual scenarios with child avatars.
The IWF’s latest AI report exposes rapidly escalating harms to children as the EU moves to scale back the tools that detect and remove child sexual abuse material online. The charity warns that the EU must act urgently to criminalise AI‑generated abuse and preserve essential detection systems before risks intensify further.
Research report by PIER at Anglia Ruskin University, providing insight into girls and their parents' understanding of self-generated CSAM.
This report conducted in collaboration with the Policing Institute for the Eastern Region (PIER) highlights the gravity of self-generated child sexual abuse material.
Our #HomeTruths (TALK) and Gurls Out Loud 'self-generated' child sexual abuse prevention campaign.
Discover the latest trends & data in the fight against online child sexual abuse imagery in the 2023 Annual Report from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).