1 in 8 children globally faces online sexual exploitation: report

Scotland: Researchers from the University of Edinburg found that more than 300 million children become victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse, Agence France-Presse reported.

In a report published on Monday, the researchers say that one in every eight children in the world were victims of non-consensual taking, sharing and exposure of sexual images and video in the past 12 months. This means 302 million children, the study suggested.

The report stated that there were a similar number of cases of solicitation of unwanted sexting and requests for sexual acts by adults as well as other youths.

There are also offences of sextortion, where the offenders demand money from victims to keep their explicit images private. Also, creating deepfake videos and pictures misusing AI technology.

When the report says that the problem is a global one, it suggests that the United States is particularly a high-risk region. Here, one in nine men admitted offences against children at some point.

Childlight chief executive Paul Stanfield said that child abuse materials are vastly available and that they are reported to watchdog and policing organizations once every minute. He added that child abuse is a global health pandemic that went unchecked and hidden for far too long. It is occurring in every country and is growing exponentially, meaning it requires a global response.

The new report came when UK Police issued a warning last month of criminal gangs in West Africa and Southeast Asia targeting teenagers in Britain using sextortion scams online.

Non-governmental organizations and the police informed that similar cases against teenage boys are growing worldwide.