Most extreme online child sexual abuse material doubles in two years – with babies and toddlers among the victims

Published

2 years ago

April 25, 2023

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Newborn babies and toddlers are among the victims of the most severe online sexual abuse, with the amount of the most extreme material doubling in the last two years, a new report has found.

In 2022, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) took action to remove or block 51,369 web pages containing Category A child sexual abuse material.

The amount of extreme content has doubled since 2020 when the IWF uncovered 20,050 pages of Category A abuse. In 2022 the total number of URLs containing this extreme abuse was higher than the organisation had ever seen before.

Category A is the most severe kind of imagery and includes the worst kinds of sexual abuse.

The younger the child involved, the more extreme the abuse was likely to be, the report found. Of the images found of children aged up to two years old, 81% were of Category A abuse.

This compared to 50% of material relating to children aged three to six, 20% of those aged seven to 10 and 17% of those aged 11 to 13.

Susie Hargreaves OBE, IWF chief executive officer, told Sky News their analysts are seeing more and more children being abused – and they are getting younger.

“I continue to be shocked, after 12 years, that the worst level of abuse was on new-borns to 2-year-olds. And that is the most vulnerable children who have absolutely no chance of defending themselves, being preyed upon and abused by adults,” she said.

“People need to realise this is very serious nasty stuff.”

Proportionally, Category A material now accounts for 20% of all the content the IWF sees – up from 18% in 2021, and 17% in 2020. The organisation both takes reports from the public and proactively searches for content.

‘Many don’t know they’re being filmed’

Many of these children, the IWF said, don’t even realise they are being filmed and they said the amount of self-generated content has grown, showing children who have been coerced into acts by a remote abuser.

Writing in the report, Ms Hargreaves said: “We’ve always been careful not to describe in detail what we see as we don’t want to upset people, but we’re starting to believe that we have to start being more upfront and honest about the extent of the abuse we find, as the public needs to realise that we are talking about 7-year-olds, naked… under the direction and coercion of nasty, manipulative individuals.”

She told Sky News that while the organisation doesn’t make a judgement on wider pornography, referring to the images as “child porn” is wrong.

She said: “It’s not helpful for people to call it… ‘child porn’ because it minimises the impact of the abuse on these children.”

Far from a victimless crime, she urged people to remember there are real children at the heart of this.

She said she once met a “very brave survivor” who was rescued at the age of 12 and was now 20 years old.

“She had someone come up to her in a shopping centre and say, ‘I’ve seen your pictures online’,” she said. “She said to me, ‘I feel physically scared every day’.

“So let’s call it what it is, this is the abuse of children who are the most vulnerable, who we should be protecting.”

Hiding ‘in plain sight’

In 2022, the organisation assessed a web page every 90 seconds – every two minutes, that web page showed a child being sexually abused.

Criminals are commercialising the sexual abuse and exploitation of children – but it is no longer confined to the dark web.

Rosa*, an internet content analyst at the IWF, said: “It is disturbing how matter-of-fact these sites are. Child sexual abuse is treated like a commodity on these sites.”

She added: “People are now only one click away from Category A material. That is a public safety issue. This extreme material is no longer in the creepy corners of the internet. It’s in plain sight.”

But these sites are typically not hosted by mainstream hosting companies, instead mainly being found on servers in little-known companies based in Europe or Asia.

Less than 1% is held on UK servers, in part because legislation means sites can be removed within minutes, making them less viable for criminals looking to profit from the online abuse of children.

But it is still British children being abused, and with criminals forced to host it outside the UK it makes it harder to get it taken down.

“These are children in bedrooms, and often [analysts] will hear the parents and domestic noises in the background so parents may think that they’re safe,” says Ms Hargreaves.

A message to those viewing online abuse

Ian Critchley, the NPCC lead for child protection and abuse investigations, said: “The rise in the most severe offending being found is deeply disturbing – not only are all internet users far more likely to be exposed to this harmful material, but it demonstrates once again how criminals have no regard for the life-long harm it causes these children.

“If you are viewing such material, be in no doubt – this is not a victimless crime. These are real children.”

He added: “If you read this, and are concerned about your own thoughts and behaviour, you can stop. The consequences of offending can last a lifetime. Seek help, now.”

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said: “Child sexual abuse is an abhorrent crime. It is paramount that the perpetrators of this abuse are identified and brought to justice. The Internet Watch Foundation’s work is vital in tackling child sexual abuse material online, and cracking down on offenders who seek to profit from young people’s pain.”

He added: “Most importantly, companies need to ensure that features such as end-to-end encryption have the necessary safety features built in so that they do not blind themselves to abuse occurring on their platforms.”

* Names have been changed

If you are concerned about child sexual abuse and would like to find a way to report it, visit Stop Abuse Together or the Internet Watch Foundation.

UK

Martin Lewis reveals who is due for car finance compensation – and how much they’ll get

Published

7 hours ago

August 4, 2025

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Martin Lewis reveals who is due for car finance compensation - and how much they'll get

Martin Lewis says motorists who were mis-sold car finance are likely to receive “hundreds, not thousands of pounds” – with regulators launching a consultation on a new compensation scheme.

The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com believes it is “very likely” that about 40% of Britons who entered personal contact purchase or hire purchase agreements between 2007 and 2021 will be eligible for payouts.

“Discretionary commission arrangements” saw brokers and dealers charge higher levels of interest so they could receive more commission, without telling consumers.

Speaking to Sky News Radio’s Faye Rowlands, Lewis said: “Very rarely will it be thousands of pounds unless you have more than one car finance deal.

“So up to about a maximum of £950 per car finance deal where you are due compensation.”

Lewis explained that consumers who believe they may have been affected should check whether they had a discretionary commission arrangement by writing to their car finance company.

However, the personal finance guru warned against using a claims firm.

“They’re hardly going to do anything for you and you might get the money paid to you automatically anyway, in which case you’re giving them 30% for nothing,” he added.

Yesterday, the Financial Conduct Authority said its review of the past use of motor finance “has shown that many firms were not complying with the law or our disclosure rules that were in force when they sold loans to consumers”.

The FCA’s statement added that those affected “should be appropriately compensated in an orderly, consistent and efficient way”.

Lewis told Sky News that the consultation will launch in October – and will take six weeks.

“We expect payouts to come in 2026, assuming this will happen and it’s very likely to happen,” he said.

“As for exactly how will work, it hasn’t decided yet. Firms will have to contact people, although there is an issue about them having destroyed some of the data for older claims.”

He believes claims will either be paid automatically – or affected consumers will need to opt in and apply to get compensation back.

What motorists should do next

The FCA says you may be affected if you bought a car under a finance scheme, including hire purchase agreements, before 28 January 2021.

Anyone who has already complained does not need to do anything.

The authority added: “Consumers concerned that they were not told about commission, and who think they may have paid too much for the finance, should complain now”.

Its website advises drivers to complain to their finance provider first.

If you’re unhappy with the response, you can then contact the Financial Ombudsman.

Any compensation scheme will be easy to participate in, without drivers needing to use a claims management company or law firm.

The FCA has warned motorists that doing so could end up costing you 30% of any compensation in fees.

The FCA estimates the cost of any scheme – including compensation and administrative costs – to be no lower than £9bn.

But in a video on X, Lewis said that millions of people are likely to be due a share of up to £18bn.

The regulator’s announcement comes after the Supreme Court ruled on a separate, but similar, case on Friday.

UK

UK weather: Storm Floris sparks amber warning – with trains cancelled

Published

9 hours ago

August 4, 2025

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UK weather: Storm Floris sparks amber warning - with trains cancelled

Storm Floris is nearing the UK – with train companies in the hardest-hit areas urging passengers not to travel today.

The Met Office has issued an amber “danger to life” warning for wind in parts of Scotland, with gusts of up to 90mph possible.

That alert is in force from 10am until 10pm, with forecasters warning “unusually strong” winds could close roads and damage buildings.

Check the latest weather forecast here

A wider yellow warning – covering the North of England and Northern Ireland – is also active between 6am this morning and 11.59pm tonight.

Train operator LNER has warned passengers not to travel north of Newcastle, while Avanti West Coast has advised its customers not to travel north of Preston as it will be “heavily affected” by the weather.

“We’re expecting heavy rain and high winds to result in disruption of services,” LNER said in a statement.

Some trains have already been cancelled in Scotland, with Network Rail saying several lines will be closed from 12pm. Other routes will run with a reduced timetable and longer journey times.

Among the routes set to close at midday are Edinburgh to Fife, Perth to Dundee, and Aberdeen to Inverness, as well as the West Highland Line.

The storm could also lead to road closures – and several ferry services have already been cancelled by Scottish operator CalMac.

The Met Office said that much of Scotland, particularly western coastal areas, will be battered by heavy rain and windy conditions.

The strongest gusts are expected this afternoon and into the evening – but a Met Office spokesperson warned “there remains some uncertainty in the depth and track of Floris”.

Sky News’ weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: “Storm Floris is likely to bring a spell of weather not usually associated with the height of summer.

“Travelling across the Atlantic, this otherwise unremarkable, low-pressure system will cross a powerful jet stream, exiting on the cold side, renowned for storm formation.”

She said inland gusts of 50mph to 60mph are widely possible, potentially reaching 80mph to 90mph over exposed coasts, hills and bridges.

“The rain associated with this storm will largely clear through early tomorrow, but it’s as the rain goes that the winds start to strengthen,” she warned.

UK

How Air India crash victim’s grieving family discovered remains mix-up

Published

10 hours ago

August 4, 2025

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How Air India crash victim's grieving family discovered remains mix-up

Almost two months after Air India Flight 171’s deadly crash, some of the 53 British nationals on board are only now being laid to rest.

Some 300 friends, families, and locals from the Gujarati community in and around London gathered in Wembley for a prayer and memorial service dedicated to remembering some of the victims.

Wearing his father’s emerald ring that was miraculously recovered from the wreckage, Miten Patel addresses the crowd.

His parents, Ashok and Shobhana Patel, were travelling back to their home in Orpington, Kent, after a spiritual trip to India, when they were killed in the crash on 12 June.

Their funeral was held only days ago, after being delayed following the discovery that the remains of other individuals were found in Miten’s mother’s casket.

He credits Professor Fiona Wilcox, the senior coroner at Inner West London Coroner’s Court, for meeting with him and his family to break the news.

“My parents were the first ones repatriated in the UK,” Miten explains – he organised the repatriation of his parents before he flew out to Ahmedabad.

“When they were back home, the first thing that they did was a CT scan. And that’s when it came about, the CT scan showed that with mum’s remains, there were further remains there too.

“I don’t know what they were. I don’t know how many.”

Miten’s parents’ funeral was attended by hundreds. His father, Ashok, was a financial adviser and his mother, Shobhana, was a retired microbiologist.

As the eldest son, organising much of his parents’ farewell fell to him. The concern around his mother’s remains delayed the family’s chance to grieve.

“I think there should be a level of responsibility taken. Why did that happen? Where was the flaw in that process? I mean I do understand that whole situation, people were rushing, people were very tired.

“You know, to get all the remains, then having to separate them by DNA, it’s a long process. But really, for us as loved ones, it is very upsetting.”

Indian government spokesman Randhir Jaiswal previously said the country was “working closely with the UK side from the moment these concerns and issues were brought to our attention”.

“In the wake of the tragic crash, the concerned authorities had carried out identification of victims as per established protocols and technical requirements,” he said. “All mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased.

“We are continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue.”

The flight crashed moments after take-off en route to Gatwick, killing 241 people on board. Horrifying images were beamed around the world within minutes.

Confusion and fear spread like wildfire among relatives back in the UK, who immediately tried to get hold of their loved ones.

It was a family member of Komal Patel’s who called her after seeing the images on the news.

There was only one flight out of Ahmedabad back to London that day, and she had only just been texting her brother Sunny and his wife Monali, who’d been on holiday.

The events of the past few weeks have been unfathomable.

In her first interview about her brother and her sister-in-law, Komal explains how she flew out to India with her cousin Jina to go and identify her little brother.

“Because we weren’t really allowed to see the body, I don’t think I’ve really come to terms with it. I still think I’m dreaming and it’s not really real,” Komal tells us.

Sunny and Monali Patel were in their 30s and about to celebrate their 10-year anniversary.

The couple were the “light” and “soul” of their families.

They loved having fun, playing with their nieces and nephews and adored travelling. Komal says her brother loved barbecues and her sister-in-law worked with children and adored hers too.

“They’re just really fun, exciting, really lived life, just made memories, just made everyone really happy,” says big sister Komal.

“They were like the heart of my kids. Whenever they walked into a room, they just filled up the room with laughter and happiness.”

The couple had been due to fly back home to London a week beforehand but postponed their flight.

“It has just been very traumatic, very, very sad for us, losing Sunny and Monali at 39 years old,” says their cousin Jina.

“They were full of life and brought so much light into our family. As a family, we’re devastated at why two people so young, with so much energy, who brought so much into our families have just sort of gone in one day.”

A joint funeral for the husband and wife was held a fortnight ago and like hundreds of families impacted by this tragedy, the family are now rebuilding a foundation that has been shattered.