Children in the UK are reporting online sextortion attempts in record numbers, with a 34% increase in blackmail reports last year, according to the Report Remove service. The service, which helps under-18s flag intimate images, received 394 reports of blackmail after victims sent sexual images to predators. Boys aged 14 to 17 accounted for 98% of victims.
Sextortion involves predators manipulating victims into sending explicit images, then threatening to publish them unless money or more images are provided. The crime has been linked to several teenage suicides in the UK, including 16-year-old Murray Dowey from Dunblane, whose parents are suing Meta for allegedly failing to protect him.
Campaigners urge tech companies to do more, with the Molly Rose Foundation calling for mandatory nudity-detection technology on phones. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and NSPCC support this, saying the government must step in if companies fail to act. Murray's mother, Ros Dowey, called the figures “horrifying and disappointing,” questioning when social media firms will take responsibility.
The Report Remove service has seen a 66% rise in under-18s seeking help, with 1,175 out of 1,894 reports involving child sexual abuse material. Kerry Smith, IWF chief executive, said the true impact is “difficult to fathom,” as many victims may not come forward. Childline director Shaun Friel noted the positive trend of more children using the service to “take back control.”
A Google spokesperson said the company is “committed” to preventing sextortion with “industry-leading” protections, while Apple declined to comment. The NSPCC reiterated that anti-nudity detection should be mandatory on devices to combat the rising threat.
