Fears as minors upload sexual images

Experts are concerned at the emergence of an online retail market selling sexualised images, either extorted from children or taken from photographs and videos, voluntarily uploaded by minors onto social network sites.

Experts from across Europe, including Ireland, said the emergence of a profit motive to child exploitation, in addition to a sexual motive, was a development in an increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect crime.

A report published by the EU police agency Europol warned parents to be aware that images they post online of their own children can be used by people for sexual purposes, including on social network profiles.