Cases of children forced by adults to post sexual images of themselves online have quadrupled since lockdowns came into effect during the coronavirus crisis in China, according to the report.
Data published by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) found 19,670 pages of “self-constructed” sexual images of seven-year-olds in the UK in their bedrooms, often after blackmailing or deceiving adults.
This is an increase of 360 percent since quarantines were first introduced in the UK, where there are 4,277 such cases, and 66% more than in 2021, with 11,873 cases.
The IWF found that the fastest growing age group for these types of activities was among children between the ages of seven and 10, and also the largest number of new sites containing sexual images of any age group had been seen. The report says that the top five such websites in the first half of 2022 were previously unknown to charities.
One IWF analyst said: “Every day I see children being asked to undress, stand naked or perform in front of the camera.
“They are asked to show close-ups of their private parts and sometimes use household items to masturbate. This often happens in their room where we see toys, laundry baskets, wall posters, teddy bears, and closets full of clothes.
The number of 11-13-year-olds who are tricked or blackmailed into posting sexual images online has also doubled since 2019, from 27,090 to 56,179, IWF said.
This number increased by 151 percent in children aged 16-19, and 36 percent in children aged 14-15.
‘British FBI’ https://t.co/EmbBmEK3kK says nearly a million people in the UK pose a sexual risk to children
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 26, 2021
Commenting on the report, Interior Minister Priti Patel said:“The brutality and inhumanity of child abusers is appalling. Since becoming Home Secretary, I have openly supported law enforcement in the UK and abroad to track down heinous criminals who abuse children. I have led all international efforts to combat this abuse and have encouraged my international colleagues to do the same.
“Online child sexual abuse has lifelong effects on victims. I have policies and actions to ensure that tech companies are held accountable for keeping our children safe.”
There have been long-standing warnings that sexual abusers will use the curfew to increase their online youth manipulation operations, as children spend more time at home and online than ever before.
In March 2020 – at the start of the quarantine – Europol warned that sexual abusers would try to take advantage of coronavirus restrictions to exploit children, noting that “those looking for material on child abuse have already noticed an increase in their online activity”. ”
These warnings were reinforced in October 2021 when the WeProtect Global Alliance published a report that said the ban had led to a significant increase in online child abuse, including a 77% increase in the number of teens posting online or nude. or sexual images of themselves. .
Susie Hargreaves, Executive Director of the Internet Watch Foundation, OBE, said: “Children cannot be blamed. They are often coerced, tricked or coerced by online sexual abusers.
“Child sexual abuse, facilitated and captured by technology using an Internet connection, does not require the physical presence of the abuser and often occurs when the child is in the bedroom, which is claimed to be a “safe place” in the family home.
“So this needs to be completely avoided. We need to attack this crime on many fronts, including providing support for parents and guardians to have positive discussions about technology use and sexual abuse at home.
38 online pedophilia suspects arrested in London https://t.co/LVQTXoSdV1
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 27, 2020
Source: Breitbart
