Criminal gangs are reaping substantial profits from online child sexual exploitation as the number of commercial websites hosting such material has doubled within a year, according to experts.
Data collected by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reveals that 15,031 commercial child sexual abuse sites were identified in 2025, a 114% increase from the 7,028 found in 2024.
An analyst who contributed to the report, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that this content is prevalent across all social media platforms and is remarkably easy to access. The analyst noted that the worst categories of abuse, including material involving very young children, can be found on any social media platform with just one search term and two clicks. The public often believes such material is hidden in obscure corners of the internet, but it is readily visible.
Kerry Smith, chief executive of the IWF, emphasised that criminals are exploiting systemic failures to profit from children's exploitation. She called for mandatory measures requiring financial services to proactively detect, remove, and report digital payment links associated with the sale of child sexual abuse images and videos. Smith also urged companies using end-to-end encryption to adopt proven safety tools to prevent their platforms from becoming safe havens for distributing such material.
The report found that the proportion of child sexual abuse sites where users pay directly for content rose from 2% in 2024 to 5% in 2025. Costs range from approximately $12 (£8.90) to as much as $120 for the most extreme content. Among these commercial sites, 16% were disguised so that illegal content could be accessed through a pathway appearing as legal material when loaded directly onto a browser. Cryptocurrency was the most common payment method, followed by money transfer services and card payments.
The analyst described the profit structure as resembling a pyramid scheme, with affiliate links generating revenue for video channels and content posters through traffic and advertising clicks. Researchers also discovered instances of perpetrators attempting to locate victims to expose them to other criminal users.
Reports of sextortion—where criminals threaten to publish nude or sexual images unless demands are met—among individuals under 18 surged by 127% in 2025 compared with 2024. Data from the Report Remove helpline, a free confidential service run by the IWF and the NSPCC, indicates that children as young as seven have self-reported sextortion.
Chris Sherwood, CEO of the NSPCC, condemned the growing number of commercial child sexual abuse sites, stating that criminal gangs are profiting from children's suffering. He highlighted that young victims often feel defenceless and face re-traumatisation knowing images of themselves continue circulating online. Sherwood called on Ofcom to use its powers to disrupt perpetrators at the source and urged tech companies to implement existing technology to prevent children from creating, sharing, or receiving nude images. He also reminded that Childline's Report Remove service is available for any young person under 18 to speak confidentially and report sexual images or videos, with the IWF and Childline working to remove such content and prevent its further sharing.
The NSPCC offers support for children on 0800 1111 and for concerned adults on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) provides support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331.
