The National Crime Agency estimates there to be between 550,000 and 850,000 people in the UK who pose varying forms of sexual risk to children.
The UK’s Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the USA’s National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) announce a landmark agreement to better protect children whose sexual abuse images are shared and traded on the internet.
Expert analysts have taken action against 200,000 websites containing child sexual abuse material
The findings will be ‘invaluable’ in turning the tide on the threat children are facing from online predators.
The IWF welcomes the EU political agreement on the recast Child Sexual Abuse Directive, closing critical gaps around AI-generated abuse material.
We would not expect children to protect themselves from sexual abuse in schools, clubs or youth organisations so why would we adopt such an approach online?
New Internet Watch Foundation data reveals a sharp rise in commercial child sexual abuse websites, with criminal gangs monetising children’s exploitation through subscription models and digital payments. The charity warns of systemic failures across online platforms, financial services and encrypted technologies that allow abuse to flourish. As reports of sexual extortion surge, particularly targeting boys, the IWF calls for stronger regulation of payment systems, encryption safeguards and decisive government action to disrupt the online economy of child sexual exploitation.
New report identifies honest communication as pivotal in battle to stop ‘self-generated’ child sexual abuse material.
Alarming increase in online grooming and child sexual abuse imagery, particularly among under 10s, in 2023 as reported by the IWF.