Rise in children finding fake sexual images of themselves online as AI use grows
There has been a surge in children finding fake or manipulated sexual images of themselves online as AI makes it easier to create them, according to new figures from Report Remove.
The service, run by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Childline, received 420 reports from children in the first six months of this year. This figure is already higher than the total number of reports for the whole of last year, which stood at 397.
The increase is said to be due to the rise in the use of AI and in particular so-called “nudification tools” used to manipulate real images of people, including children, to make them more explicit and sexualised. Images of children adapted to appear explicit are considered Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and are illegal.
Earlier this month, Zafer Dogan, 32, was jailed for two years and four months for taking thousands of pictures of women and children and using AI software to turn some of them into explicit images.
Meanwhile, the NSPCC this month released its list of the top five platforms and apps linked to online sexual abuse, with Snapchat most frequently mentioned.
The data was compiled by recording which platforms were mentioned the most in Childline counselling sessions where online sexual abuse was the main concern.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, Snapchat was mentioned 324 times in counselling sessions, followed by TikTok (234), Instagram (197), Discord (92) and WhatsApp (39).
Technology firms had until 8 September 2026 to introduce nudity blocking technology, but after the deadline passed without a breakthrough, the Government said it will now introduce legislation to force tech firms such as Apple and Google to act.
The statistics and court cases highlight the growing problem of AI-created sexual imagery and the wider harm caused by online grooming and sexual exploitation.
Social media ban for under-16s – the latest news
In the past week, the Government has released an update on the measures it is planning to bring in to protect children online, including banning social media for under-16s.
The measures include a ban on under-16s being able to access platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and X, as well as features such as livestreaming and strangers being able to contact them on a wider range of online services such as gaming. However, the ban will not apply to messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal, so it remains to be seen how effective it will be in preventing such harm, especially as WhatsApp was ranked fifth in the NSPCC’s list.
There will also be lighter-touch regulation on what 16 and 17-year-olds are able to access. Livestreaming and stranger communication, including in gaming, will be switched off by default, although it will be possible for these settings to be changed.
Age verification is said to be becoming more prevalent, but again, the efficacy of such measures has already been brought into question.
It is therefore imperative that pressure continues to be applied to governments, both in the UK and around the world, to get a firm grip on the actions of the ever-developing tech world. This will always be a challenging landscape given that technology will always move faster than legislation, which is inherently reactive.
That is, of course, not to suggest we need to adopt a Luddite approach to this developing technology, which does have clear benefits for education and learning.
Social media help for parents talking to children
I would therefore advocate that parents help their children understand both the benefits and dangers of the online world and in that respect would highlight the very helpful guidance from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
A combination of legislation and increased vigilance from both parents and children will hopefully help reduce the number of these incidents and, in turn, prevent the real harm to children and young people that such abuse can inflict.
If you are reading this as someone who has experienced online sexual image abuse or any other form of sexual abuse, whether recently or many years ago, support is available. Speaking to someone does not mean you have to make a report. If you would like to talk through what happened or explore what support might look like for you, our Abuse team is here to listen in complete confidence.
You can also contact Paul McGinn directly at paulmcginn@bbkllp.co.uk or on 020 7288 4859.
