Annual reports of online child exploitation to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have increased by 45%.
Federal authorities received 58,503 reports of online child abuse in the 2023/24 financial year.
It follows around 40,000 reports during the previous financial year.
The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) defines online child sexual exploitation as grooming, creating child sexual abuse materials, and/or coercing or blackmailing children for sexual purposes.
Online child exploitation reports
The ACCCE is led by the AFP. Since its launch in 2018, reports of online child exploitation have more than tripled.
The agency now receives an average of 160 reports per day.
AFP Commander Helen Schneider attributed the rise in reports to the increasing numbers of children accessing the internet.
Schneider said: “Every one of these reports contains images and videos of real children being sexually abused or exploited”.
She called on parents and caregivers to talk to children about online safety.
The AFP called the spike in reports “concerning”, but said they act as “a valuable resource in the fight against child exploitation.”
NSW concerns
The AFP child exploitation data coincides with strike action in NSW this week over child safety concerns.
The Public Service Association (PSA) said four in five at-risk children are not receiving appropriate support due to a shortage of child protection workers.
PSA General Secretary Stewart Little said “the most vulnerable kids in NSW” are being left at risk of abuse.
The union is calling for 500 new hires, and “an immediate and substantial pay rise”. The NSW Government said it was in ongoing negotiations with the PSA.
