This report regarding evidence collected by the NSPCC should be of greate concern to any parent. The reports suggests that there has been a rise in online blackmail attempts involving sexual images in the UK last year(2025). The charity also reported thay contacts with its Childline service relating to online sexual abuse and exploitation rose by 36% last year, driven by an increase in cases related to online blackmail.
Sextorsion occurs when somone pursuades a child to release sexualised images of themselves and then blackmails the child by saying they will publish the images online and demanding payment from the child or its parents to remove them. The 36% rise is alarming and there are groeing demands from some to bring in social media bans for children under 16. The charity warns that such a ban might result in children who are not well prepared to protect themselves when they reach 16.
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