800% increase in number of children being blackmailed online over nude images
Figures from the Internet Watch Foundation show a huge rise in reported incidents in the last year alone, with boys the main target
INVESTIGATION: The number of children being blackmailed over nude images sent on social media has rocketed eightfold in a year – with boys being deliberately targeted by online criminals.
New data from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), seen by our ongoing investigation into online child extortion, shows that in 2023 IWF analysts confirmed 176 reports of sexual extortion that contained child sexual abuse material.
READ: heat radio investigates huge rise in boys being blackmailed online
This is more than eight times as many as the previous year, when 21 cases of sexual extortion were recorded.
- 91% of the reports received are from boys.
- 60% of incidents involved 16 and 17 year olds.
Children blackmailed over nude pictures
This worrying new trend sees blackmailers gain children’s trust and successfully coerce them into sharing explicit images or videos, then quickly turning nasty and revealing their true nature.
In the vast majority of cases boys are the main target.
Offenders either demand money or more sexual imagery in return for not exposing the child’s nude pictures to family or friends, or putting them on the open internet.
Most of the sexual extortion reports (93%) seen by the IWF come through the Report Remove service run jointly by the IWF and Childline.
The service allows children in the UK to have sexual images of themselves removed from the internet and provides support and counselling if requested.
It means if there's a risk of the sexual imagery being shared online children can have it removed and blocked.
The IWF can even pre-emptively block imagery that has not yet been shared online, as long as a child has reported the imagery that is at risk of being shared.
Children calling Childline to report blackmail
A boy, aged 18, who contacted Childline said: “I should have known she wasn’t real. I’ve never had any girls interested in me before, I’ll admit I was just glad a girl wanted to talk to me. I had doubts about her, but I ignored them.
“After we exchanged numbers and nudes, she disappeared, and I got bombarded by messages from new accounts demanding money. I’ve already sent them hundreds of pounds, but they won’t leave me alone, how do I stop them asking me for more?”
Since Report Remove was first piloted in 2019, the IWF has removed 1,093 images and videos reported by young people from the internet.
Online blackmail has devastating consequences
IWF CEO Susie Hargreaves OBE said: “The devastation that sexual extortion can cause cannot be overstated, and it is heartbreaking to see the number of cases continuing to rise.
“Children are not at fault here and we want them to know that there is support available to help them get through this harrowing experience. Wherever possible, IWF analysts will find and remove children’s sexual images and ensure that the image cannot be further shared online.
“However, it is not enough to be dealing only with the aftermath of sexual extortion. End-to-end encryption on messaging platforms is a huge threat to children. We cannot allow criminals to have a safe space online to callously exploit our children without repercussion.
“If tech companies introduce end-to-end encryption on their services, they must do more to ensure safeguards are in place to protect children and other users. There are ways to do so that still respect user privacy and we are happy to work with the tech industry to make that happen.”
NSPCC Chief Executive Sir Peter Wanless said: "Child sexual extortion is increasingly impacting young people with offenders exploiting poorly designed social media and messaging apps and using well-known grooming tactics with devastating effect as we saw in the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Dinal De Alwis.
“It’s crucial that young people know that they can get support if they ever face this situation online. Childline counsellors are just a call or a click away and our Report Remove tool can help get images removed with the help of the IWF.
“Tech companies must do far more to prevent this harm, so it’s incredibly concerning that Meta continue to push ahead with plans to roll out end-to-end encryption on Instagram and Facebook without setting out how they will identify and disrupt abuse. It’s also crucial that Ofcom act with bold ambition when implementing the Online Safety Act and take a strong approach to tackling child sexual abuse.”
Find out more about this issue
You can find out more about our ongoing investigation into the issue of children, particularly boys, being blackmailed online here.
The page includes advice, and links to resources if you've been impacted by it.