IJM on the UK's #1 Podcast

February 2026

One of the UK’s most influential podcasts has shone a spotlight on a crime too often kept in the dark – and millions are listening.

The Rest is Politics featured International Justice Mission’s CEO Gary Haugen alongside IJM UK’s Chief Public Engagement Officer Molly Hodson to expose the growing threat of livestreamed child sexual abuse and how UK demand is driving it.

The UK is one of the top three global consumers of livestreamed child sexual abuse (UK National Crime Agency, 2019). Children, often living in poverty, are being exploited in real time to meet that demand.

Global law enforcement agencies have warned this crime is growing rapidly. Europol (2024) has described livestreamed abuse as, ‘the main form of commercial sexual exploitation of children...,’ with Interpol and the UK NCA issuing similar warnings. In the Philippines alone, roughly one in every 100 children is being trafficked to produce new child sexual exploitation material, including livestreamed abuse (IJM & Nottingham Rights Lab, 2023).

“I was genuinely shocked by the scale of this,” co-host Alastair Campbell shared during the episode.

On episode 495 of The Rest is Politics – with the IJM feature beginning at 25:05 – listeners hear how demand in the UK fuels abuse, how children can be brought to safety though coordinated action with local authorities, and how existing technology could stop the abuse before it starts.

“This is a massive global threat to children all around the world,” said Molly Hodson. “And we’re not just talking the Philippines, we’re talking in the UK.”

Evidence points to the urgency of action. Men in the UK who report online sexual offending behaviours against children also report being 2.5 times more likely to seek sexual contact with children in-person (Childlight, 2023).

As many listeners engage with the issue for the first time and awareness grows, momentum is building behind IJM UK’s Tech that Protects campaign. New AI-driven, on-device detection technology could disrupt livestreamed abuse, preventing offenders from livestreaming child abuse in the first place and making children everywhere safer.

IJM UK is hosting a parliamentary drop‑in on 25th February 2026 for MPs to understand the rise of livestreamed child sexual abuse and the technology that can prevent abuse before it starts. MPs are far more likely to attend when they hear directly from their constituents:

Your voice matters. Invite your MP to attend and help protect children everywhere.