National Crime Agency also reports that it and policing partners arrest an average of 1,000 people each month for potential child sexual abuse offences
The National Crime Agency (NCA) and other policing leads in the UK say that advances in technology and the reliance on online platforms for communication are increasing the opportunities for offenders to engage with and sexually abuse children.
Photo by Thomas Park / Unsplash
In a stark and shocking statement, the NCA cites issues such as the use of generative AI image creation tools and the rollout of end-to-end encryption.
As a result, the threat of child sexual abuse (CSA) has diversified. The NCA reports cases of offenders paying to see CSA livestreamed on demand for as little as £20. There has been an increase in ‘financially motivated sexual extortion’ (FMSE) of children, particularly young boys. There’s also a trend for sharing increasingly sadistic material among online communities known as ‘Com networks’.
The result, says the NCA, is an increase in the scale, severity and complexity of child sexual abuse (CSA), which can occur in any community and across all social backgrounds. There has been a corresponding increase in reports to law enforcement agencies of alleged online abuse.
As the NCA notes, behind every such image and video there is an exploited child. But evidence also demonstrates a link between the viewing of such material and contact abuse.
The NCA and other policing leads say they’ve enhanced their response through better intelligence sharing, special investigative support and improved national capabilities. On average, they’re arresting 1,000 potential offenders each month. In a single week last month, 252 people were arrested for such offences in the UK, and 118 of them charged. In the same period, 35 individuals were sentenced in courts and 407 children safeguarded.
Police forces are also increasingly using technology to tackle the threat of CSA. Over the next year, they’ll benefit from a secure platform to speed up investigative processes and free up frontline resource: the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) Programme’s Capabilities Environment.
New powers with the Online Safety Act 2025 are already being used by Ofcom to hold tech companies to account where they do not comply with legislation to protect children online. The NC calls for penalties for non-compliance, as well as wider prevention initiatives and funding for offender management.
Rob Jones, Director General Operations at the NCA, says: ‘Over the last five years, we have continually said that the use of technology is increasing the opportunities for child sex offenders, and the risk to children and young people. We have seen some improvements by tech companies, but it’s nowhere near what’s actually needed to protect children in this day and age.
‘On a daily basis, officers at the NCA and across policing are assessing some of the most obscene child abuse imaginable. And this is not hidden in the dark web – it’s being shared on social media and is accessible on the clear web as well for anyone to see. The response to the continual CSA threat cannot be one for policing alone – a whole‑system approach is the only way to protect children effectively. We all owe it to our children not to be a bystander – now is the time to really make a difference.’
Becky Riggs, Temporary Chief Constable and Lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigation at National Police Chiefs’ Council, adds: ‘Every child deserves to feel safe and protected, wherever they are – and that must include the online spaces where they learn, play and connect with others. Policing is relentless in pursuing those who seek to harm children, and we will continue to target offenders at national, regional and local levels. But enforcement alone will never be enough. We all have a responsibility to build a safer digital world for our young people.
‘A vital part of that is education. Children and young people need to understand the risks they may encounter online, and they must be empowered to make safer choices. Just as importantly, the trusted adults around them – parents, carers, teachers, youth workers – need clear, accessible guidance so they can recognise the signs of harm, have open conversations, and know where to turn for help.
‘At the same time, the tech sector has a crucial role to play. We need technology companies to act with urgency to make their platforms hostile environments for offenders. That means developing and implementing solutions that prevent children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images online, improving the detection of child sexual abuse material, and ensuring platforms are built safer by design. Child sexual abuse and exploitation is a societal threat, and it requires a societal response. Policing will continue to lead the fight against offenders, but education, prevention and partnership are just as essential. Together, we can create the safer spaces our children deserve.’
Jess Phillips MP, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, says: ‘The scale of child sexual abuse and exploitation in this country is horrific, whether online, at home, or within depraved criminal gangs, and this government is using every lever at our disposal to fight it.
‘We are funding a network of undercover officers online and a dedicated police taskforce to disrupt crimes, catch offenders and protect children. In addition, the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs and Operation Beaconport will work hand in hand to get justice for survivors. Interventions as part of Operation Croft mean more children saved and more perpetrators off the streets.’
Leave a Reply