Record Surge in Child Sextortion Reports Across the United Kingdom
Disturbing new data has revealed a record number of children in the United Kingdom are reporting being blackmailed over sexual images of themselves, a crime known as sextortion. The figures show a significant and alarming increase in these incidents, with young boys accounting for the overwhelming majority of reports in 2025.
Sharp Increase in Helpline Reports
The Report Remove helpline, a service that enables children to report nude or sexual imagery of themselves circulating online, received 394 reports of sextortion last year. This represents a substantial 23 per cent increase compared to the previous year, indicating a rapidly escalating problem. A staggering 98 per cent of these reports involving sexually coerced extortion were made by young boys, primarily aged between 14 and 17 years old.
Hannah Swirsky, the head of policy at the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which operates the helpline in collaboration with Childline, commented on the psychological impact. “Victims and survivors of technology-facilitated child sexual abuse have talked about the stigma and the shame that can live with them for a really long time,” she said. “Survivors have spoken about the fear they have that this imagery will continue to circulate, and the lack of control they have once that imagery is out there.”
Contrast in Abuse Material and Reporting Patterns
Ms Swirsky noted a stark contrast between the types of child sexual abuse material typically found and these sextortion reports. While the majority of child sexual abuse material identified by the IWF involves girls, sextortion reports are almost entirely made by boys. She acknowledged the difficulty in pinpointing exactly why males constitute the majority of sextortion cases but emphasized that the data underscores an urgent need for more targeted support and education for young boys facing this specific form of abuse.
“We're calling on the government to take more steps, such as with on-device nudity detection and blocking,” she urged. “There are tools which can stop children from sending those images in the first place, if they've been groomed or coerced.”
Comprehensive Service Data and Criminal Tactics
Launched in 2021, the Report Remove service received a total of 1,894 reports from children and young people in 2025 concerning nude or sexual imagery of themselves. The charity confirmed the presence of child sexual abuse imagery in 1,175 of these reports, marking an 83 per cent rise compared to 2024. More than a third of all reports involved sextortion, which often includes financial sexual extortion, where criminals threaten to share sexual imagery unless the victim pays money. It also includes cases where victims are coerced into sending more images to prevent the sharing of original content.
In 2025, the IWF identified 2,963 child sexual abuse images and 509 videos through its work. Shaun Friel, director of Childline, described the harrowing experiences reported. “Our counsellors hear from young people who are being blackmailed into sharing videos of themselves, as well as being threatened that their intimate images might be shared with friends, family or their school unless they pay money or send more content,” he said. “For many, the fear and isolation can feel overwhelming, and they often struggle to tell a trusted adult about what’s happening.”
Government Response and Call for Action
Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, addressed the severity of the issue. “Child sexual abuse and sextortion are devastating crimes, harming growing numbers of children across the world, and leaving scars that can last a lifetime,” she stated. “Too often, fear, embarrassment and shame have tragically driven children to suicide. That reality weighs heavily on me every single day and I will do everything I can to make the online world safer for our children.”
Mr Friel expressed mixed feelings about the rise in contacts to Report Remove regarding sextortion. “Obviously, it is worrying to see further evidence of how serious a problem this now is, but at the same time it is positive that there is greater awareness about the service and children are more willing to get in touch and seek help,” he concluded, highlighting a dual narrative of crisis and cautious optimism in the fight against online child exploitation.
