The growing problem of online-facilitated child sexual abuse

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This IICSA investigation focusses on the growing problem of online-facilitated child sexual abuse. The increase in access to and use of the internet has brought undeniable benefits to society. It has also enabled a section of society to misuse the internet to distribute indecent images of children; groom and manipulate children in order to commit sexual acts on them; and live stream the sexual abuse of children from around the world.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has estimated that approximately half a million men in the UK may have viewed indecent images of children.

In 2018, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) received nearly 230,000 reports of suspected online child sexual abuse.

UK law enforcement record more than 10 grooming offences per day and arrest between 400 and 450 people per month for offences of online-facilitated child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Read the full report here.