Hundreds of UK children reporting blackmail over sexual images, data shows

WorldFamily & Parenting
8 Apr 2026 • 2:32 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • A record number of British children reported being blackmailed over sexual images of themselves, known as sextortion, in 2025.
  • The Report Remove helpline received 394 sextortion claims last year, marking a 23 per cent increase from the previous year.
  • Young boys, primarily aged 14 to 17, accounted for a staggering 98 per cent of these sexually coerced extortion reports.
  • Organisations like the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Childline highlight the severe emotional impact on victims and call for more support and education, particularly for boys.
  • There are calls for the government to implement measures such as on-device nudity detection and blocking to prevent children from sending such images.

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