The number of commercial child sexual abuse websites has doubled in the past year, with experts warning that criminal gangs are making significant profits from online exploitation. Data from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) shows 15,031 such sites were identified in 2025, a 114% increase from 7,028 in 2024.
An anonymous IWF analyst stated that this content is present across all social media platforms and is very easy to access. The analyst noted that category A material—involving penetration of children as young as babies—can be found with just one search term and two clicks on any platform.
IWF chief executive Kerry Smith called for mandatory measures on financial services to detect and remove payment links for child sexual abuse material. Smith also urged companies using end-to-end encryption to implement safety tools to prevent criminals from using these platforms as safe havens.
The report found that 5% of these sites now require direct payment, up from 2% in 2024, with costs ranging from £8.90 to £120. Of the commercial sites, 16% were disguised to appear legal when loaded directly. Cryptocurrency was the most common payment method, followed by money transfer services and card payments.
Reports of sextortion among under-18s increased by 127% in 2025, with children as young as seven self-reporting via the Report Remove helpline. NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood urged Ofcom to use its powers to disrupt perpetrators and called on tech companies to adopt technology preventing children from sharing nude images.
