Child sexual abuse imagery being shared online by use of artificial intelligence, report finds

Almost 2.5 million suspected online records of child sex abuse material were disclosed to global network InHope last year, amid concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in the area.

Child sexual abuse imagery is being shared online through advanced tactics, including comment sections on video-sharing platforms or the use of artificial intelligence prompts, according to a new report.

The report comes from InHope, a global network of 55 member hotlines, including Ireland’s Hotline service.

It found almost 2.5 million suspected online records of child sex abuse material were disclosed to the global network last year, amid concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in the area.

The material is believed to have featured up to 30,000 children across 86 countries. The publication found 93% of victims in the material were children between three and 13 years old, with 99% of victims being young girls.

The report noted the number of records has spiked by 218% on the previous year, and highlighted concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on the area.

“Encrypted messaging platforms, such as Telegram, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, are increasingly used for CSAM [child sexual abuse material] distribution and grooming. Simultaneously, there has been a rise in sexual extortion and more broadly, of financial exploitation of children," the report said. 

“Perpetrators are leveraging advanced tactics, such as using YouTube comment sections to share CSAM; generating illegal content through AI prompts, [and] coercing children into exploitative sexual activities for purposes of sexual extortion and manipulation.” 

The report also said analysts working with the hotlines across the world found “a significant rise in manipulated, virtual, and composite images, which are often photo-realistic and harder to distinguish from genuine material. This trend poses challenges for both hotlines and law enforcement agencies, as the complexity of analysing and triaging such material continues to grow.” 

The report found: “The overall number of online records observed by the InHope network in 2024 is unprecedented, reaching record numbers that have never been seen before in the 20 years since InHope started to collect and publish data.

“This sharp increase in reported content reflects not only the evolving tactics of perpetrators but also the emergence of several alarming trends. InHope analysts observed a growing sophistication in self-generated and AI-generated child sexual abuse material, the increasing use of ‘Invite Child Abuse Pyramid’ sites and encrypted messaging platforms to facilitate criminal activity, and a rise in both the financial and sexual exploitation of minors. 

Invite Child Abuse Pyramid sites are commercial websites which provide platforms for advertising and selling child sexual abuse material.

The report highlights that “new evasion tactics, such as the use of link shorteners, browser apps, and streaming platforms, have been adopted by perpetrators”, while distribution of material through forums, adult websites and illegal browser applications is also increasing.

It says the changing nature of technologies and tools used by perpetrators makes it harder to “disrupt their operations”.

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