Research by Edinburgh University Institute in UK
10% of US Men Have Committed Online Sexual Crimes
A study has revealed that over 300 million children worldwide have experienced online sexual abuse in the past year.
On the 26th (local time), AFP and the UK Guardian reported on the findings of a survey conducted by the Child Rights World Childhood Safety Institute at the University of Edinburgh, UK. The survey found that 320 million children and adolescents worldwide, accounting for 12.6% of the global youth population, experienced online sexual abuse in the past year. The types of sexual abuse they endured included being exposed to or receiving unsolicited sexual images and videos, sharing such content, and engaging in conversations about it. Additionally, 12.5% of children worldwide reported having received sexting (sending sexually explicit messages), sexual questions, or requests for sexual acts from adults or other adolescents.
More severe cases involve crimes of 'sextortion,' where perpetrators exploit AI deepfake technology or lure victims into recording sexual videos, then extort money by threatening to distribute these videos to family or friends. The researchers noted that while online child sexual abuse occurs globally, the risk is particularly higher in the United States.
In this study, 14 million American men, equivalent to one in nine, admitted to having committed online sexual crimes against children. In the UK, 1.8 million men responded that they had committed similar offenses. Even more shocking, many men expressed willingness to commit physical sexual crimes against children if they could keep it secret.
Paul Stanfield, director of the Child Rights Institute, emphasized, "Such child abuse is so widespread that reports are made to monitoring agencies every second," adding, "Online sexual abuse occurs in every country and is increasing exponentially, requiring a global response." Steven Kavanagh, director of UK Interpol, also stated, "Traditional law enforcement methods are insufficient to address online child sexual abuse," and called for "more global cooperation in specialized investigator training, data sharing, and equipment improvement."
Meanwhile, the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) announced that the number of reports of online child sexual exploitation materials received in the US last year reached a record high of 36 million. Amid this, Facebook and Instagram have been identified as major platforms facilitating the spread of child sexual exploitation materials. Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, has faced allegations of neglecting the issue despite being aware that some parents were posting child sexual exploitation materials, such as bikini photos of their minor children, on 'parent-managed minor accounts' and profiting from them.
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