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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Dan Milmo Global technology editor

Covid lockdowns created ‘online backdoor’ for child abusers, says charity

Male hands on laptop keyboard
Reports of images of children abusing themselves on camera have risen by more than 1,000% in the UK since 2019. Photograph: Sandy Gasperoni/Alamy

Internet predators have exploited a rise in online activity during lockdown to manipulate primary school age children into abusing themselves on camera, with reports of such imagery rising by more than 1,000% in the UK since 2019.

The Internet Watch Foundation received reports of 63,050 webpages containing images and videos of children aged seven to 10 sexually abusing themselves on camera last year, an increase of just over 1,000% on the year before the coronavirus pandemic.

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