Online Sexual Exploitation of Children is Rising
Will you help us find and free children and stop their abusers?
The livestreaming of sexual abuse of children
is increasing during the pandemic.
“Livestreaming of child sexual abuse continues to increase, becoming even more popular than usual during the COVID-19 crisis, when travel restrictions prevented offenders from physically abusing children."
- EUROPOL
The UK is the third largest global consumer of livestreamed abuse.
Lockdown means UK online sex offenders are at home and online, able to demand and pay for the abuse of young children in places like the Philippines.
Children are urgently in need of rescue.
Help our teams continue to find and free children from exploitation
Law enforcement around the world are seeing increases in demand for child sexual exploitation materials. IJM is urgently working alongside law enforcement to find these vulnerable children and bring them to safety.
We've helped find and free over 100 children from OSEC in 2020, including operations during Covid-19 lockdowns.
Will you help find these children?
Will you help find these children?
The power of your donation:
We need you to make sure that IJM teams and our law enforcement partners on the frontlines - those investigating this crime - have the resources they need to find children and stop abusers.
Send rescue
Your donations means that our team can work with police to investigate abuse and conduct vital rescue operations to bring children to safety.
Send criminals to court
Your gift makes it possible for IJM's legal teams to help prosecute human traffickers and slave owners, so they can no longer harm others.
Restore children's lives
You will help social workers provide children with trauma-informed care and support to rebuild their lives in freedom.
Why would online sexual exploitation of children increase with COVID-19?
Evidence points to a rise in reports of online sexual exploitation of children
In the Philippines—the global hotspot for live-streamed online sexual exploitation of children - reports of all types of online child exploitation more than tripled from January to March this year, according to new data released by the Philippines Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime.
Supply Has Increased
Cybersex trafficking happens in private homes. Almost two thirds of children rescued by law enforcement and IJM are abused by their own family or close family friends. Filipino children have been trapped at home with their abusers during lockdowns.
Demand Has Increased
Globally, COVID-19 has produced a higher demand from child sex offenders who have more time on their hands, with ready access to the internet and streaming devices. From Europol to Australian police, law enforcement around the world have warned of increased perpetrator activity.
Resources Are Stretched
Due to social and economic disruptions caused by COVID-19, police forces and NGOs are facing new challenges in their work, having to find new ways to cope with increased exploitation, and to operate in a difficult environment with limited resources.