US & International
New Zealand
United Kingdom
– September 2025
41% Surge in Online Child Sexual Exploitation Reports
Every click can become a doorway to danger.
Destiny Rescue commends the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) for its continued efforts to combat the growing threat of online child sexual exploitation (OSEC). But the latest figures reveal a crisis no single agency can confront alone.
A confronting rise
In 2024–25, the AFP-led ACCCE received 82,764 reports of online child sexual exploitation, an alarming 41 per cent increase from 58,503 reports in 2023–24.
These numbers expose a grim reality: digital spaces meant for connection and creativity are being exploited to harm children, and the scale of this abuse is accelerating.
Destiny Rescue applauds the AFP’s transparency in releasing these figures and urges all Australians to stand together in protecting children online.
The Role of Social Media in Child Exploitation
The Final Report of the Federal Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society echoes the same concerns. In our submission, Destiny Rescue emphasised the significant role that social media platforms play in enabling child sexual abuse and exploitation.
These platforms can grant predators anonymity, direct access to children, and the ability to share child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with minimal oversight.
Even more distressing is the rise in live-streamed child abuse, a growing trend that poses immense challenges for law enforcement globally.
Collective Action
Online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) is now a global crisis.
In our 2025–26 Federal Pre-Budget Submission, Destiny Rescue called for coordinated, urgent action to close the structural gaps that allow online exploitation to thrive.
Our frontline experience rescuing children from online abuse reveals a chilling reality: predators are increasingly weaponising digital platforms.
Every child deserves to grow up in a digital world designed for their safety, not for offenders to access.
Together, we can make this possible.
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