- Reports of online 'sextortion' made to the Report Remove helpline are on track to more than double in 2026, according to the Internet Watch Foundation .
- Data shows 462 cases were registered by the end of June 2026, surpassing the total of 394 recorded throughout 2025, with boys making up 95 per cent of victims.
- Sextortion occurs when predators lure young people into sharing indecent images of themselves and subsequently use them for blackmail.
- Child safety campaigners from the Internet Watch Foundation and the NSPCC have warned that the recorded figures represent only the tip of the iceberg.
- Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has stated the government will introduce legislation to enforce nudity-blocking technology on children's devices if tech platforms fail to act.
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