State of the threat

CSAM by the numbers

The headline statistics on child sexual abuse material and online child exploitation — each figure with the year it describes and the primary source that published it. Numbers in this space are easy to misquote; we cite carefully and flag the caveats.

Read these numbers responsibly. A CyberTipline report flagged “Generative AI” does not necessarily mean the file is AI-generated CSAM — the category is ambiguous, and reporting on it has sometimes conflated flag counts with confirmed AI CSAM (Stanford Internet Observatory / Riana Pfefferkorn, 2025–26). Report counts also reflect changes in reporting law and platform tooling, not only changes in underlying abuse. Where that matters, we say so.

Reporting volume (NCMEC CyberTipline)

The CyberTipline is the United States' congressionally-mandated clearinghouse for reports of online child sexual exploitation; US electronic service providers must report apparent CSAM to it under 18 U.S.C. § 2258A.

20.5 millionCyberTipline reports received in 2024
Down from a record 36.2M in 2023. The decline is largely an artifact of a 2024 report-bundling change (consolidating viral-meme reports), not a fall in abuse; adjusted for distinct incidents, 2024 is ~29.2M.
NCMEC CyberTipline Report · 2024
62.9 millionFiles (images, videos, other) in 2024 reports
NCMEC CyberTipline Report · 2024
84%Of 2024 reports resolved to a location outside the US
NCMEC · 2024
~21.3 millionReports in 2025 (NCMEC 'first look')
Preliminary figure published in early 2026; NCMEC referred 18.8M+ reports to law enforcement.
NCMEC 2025 preliminary · 2025

AI-generated CSAM

Generative AI has introduced a new and fast-growing category of abuse imagery. Read these figures carefully: a report flagged 'Generative AI' does not by itself confirm the file is AI-generated CSAM — the classification is ambiguous, and figures should not be conflated (see the accuracy note below).

+1,325%Growth in generative-AI CyberTipline reports, 2023→2024 (4,700 → 67,000)
NCMEC · 2024
245 reports / 7,644 imagesAI-generated CSAM the IWF actioned in 2024 (+380% vs 51 reports in 2023)
7,063 were realistic enough to be treated as 'real' CSAM under UK law; 98% depicted girls. The IWF confirmed the first realistic AI-generated CSAM videos in 2024.
IWF Annual Data & Insights Report · 2024
158,000Files categorized as generative-AI CSAM by NCMEC since 2023
NCMEC 2025 preliminary · 2023–2025

Sextortion & online enticement

Financial sextortion — coercing a minor into sending an intimate image, then extorting them — has grown faster than almost any other category and disproportionately targets teen boys.

+192%Growth in online-enticement reports, 2023→2024 (186,000 → 546,000+)
Partly reflects the REPORT Act (signed May 2024) mandating enticement and trafficking reporting.
NCMEC · 2024
1.4 millionOnline-enticement reports in 2025 (+158% vs 2024)
NCMEC 2025 preliminary · 2025
+323%Growth in child-sex-trafficking reports in 2025 (113,500+)
NCMEC 2025 preliminary · 2025

Scale of removal & detection

What the hotlines and industry detection systems handle gives a sense of the underlying volume of material in circulation.

291,270Webpages of confirmed CSAM the IWF actioned in 2024 (a record, +5% vs 2023)
Each webpage can contain one to thousands of images or videos. The IWF assessed a report every 74 seconds.
IWF Annual Data & Insights Report · 2024
>50%Share of CSAM webpages the IWF finds that are hosted in the EU
The Netherlands is the single most-abused hosting location.
IWF · 2024
4.16 millionSuspected CSAM files Thorn's Safer detected across partner platforms in 2024
1,979,406 known files (hash matching) + 2,237,225 potential novel files (AI classifiers), across 112.3 billion files processed and 60+ platforms.
Thorn Safer Impact Report · 2024
228.8 billionFiles Thorn's Safer has processed cumulatively since 2019 (6.48M CSAM detected)
Thorn Safer Impact Report · 2019–2024

Sources & further reading

Every figure above is drawn from the primary publisher's own reporting. Go to the source for full methodology:

Last reviewed May 2026.