Artificial intelligence-generated child sexual abuse material surged by 1,325 per cent between 2023 and 2024, according to new global data showing that millions of children across Western Europe and South Asia face sexual violence both online and offline.
The Into the Light Index 2025, published by Childlight Global Child Safety Institute at the University of Edinburgh, estimates that around 5 million children across Western Europe report having been raped or sexually assaulted by the age of 18, representing about 7 per cent of the child population. In South Asia, data for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka suggest the figure rises to 12 per cent of children, or more than 50 million young people in those three countries alone.
The research found that 4.7 per cent of children in Western Europe experienced rape before age 18, and 7.4 per cent were sexually assaulted, with higher prevalence among females. For technology-facilitated abuse, 19.6 per cent of children experienced online solicitation before age 18.
Professor Deborah Fry, Director of Data at Childlight and author of an analysis of the findings, highlighted growing concerns about deepfake images placing children’s faces onto sexual material. Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children rose to over 67,000 in 2024, from 4,700 reports in 2023.
The Netherlands accounted for a disproportionate amount of child sexual abuse material, hosting over 60 per cent of all reported material from Western Europe, with the highest availability rate at 880.9 reports per 10,000 population in the region. Globally, the Netherlands hosts 30 per cent of child sexual abuse material.
The research also revealed that familial abuse is leading to the creation of new child sexual abuse material, with a large proportion of identified material depicting immediate family members. Nearly one in 13 children in Western Europe, or 7.6 per cent, experienced sexual assault by a family member during their lifetime before age 18.
Fry says: “Behind these numbers are real children, millions who stay silent out of fear, guilt or loyalty to family members. Yet the consequences are lifelong, affecting mental health, physical health and even life expectancy.”
The index draws on 89 studies using survey methods to identify victims, alongside crime statistics, child helpline data, and global child sexual abuse material trends. It covers 41 countries in Western Europe and South Asia.
Analysis of material metadata shows an overall increase in self-generated content, whether through public reporting, victim reports, analyst-directed searches or web crawlers.
