Infants, children abuse

Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and exploitation form a massive global issue, with an estimated 302 million children—about 1 in 8 worldwide—having experienced sexual violence in childhood, including online and offline forms. 0 Technology-facilitated abuse affects roughly 300 million children annually. 21 Reports to organizations like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reached over 36 million suspected CSAM incidents in 2023 alone, up from previous years. 2 In the U.S., more than 550,000 children are confirmed victims of abuse and neglect annually, with sexual abuse comprising a significant portion. 19 Globally, up to 20% of children in regions like Eastern and Southern Africa and Southeast Asia face sexual exploitation and abuse. 13

Ages of Victims

Victims span from infancy to adolescence, but data shows a heavy concentration among younger children. In CSAM reports, prepubescent children (typically under 12) are the most commonly depicted, often due to how content is categorized—focusing on the youngest in multi-victim files. 21 Infants and toddlers appear frequently, with global proportions highest in those age groups. 21 Surveys indicate lifetime prevalence of rape or sexual assault before age 18 at around 12.5% in South Asia (affecting ~54 million children in countries like India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) and 6.7% in Western Europe (~5 million children). 21 In the U.S., about 1.6% of children aged 12-17 have been victims of rape or sexual assault. 15 Females generally face higher rates, but males report more exposure to unwanted sexual content online. 21 Familial abuse is common, with perpetrators often being parents or relatives—e.g., fathers linked to 37-38% of CSAM images. 21

Industry Statistics and Organized Crime

The CSAM industry generates billions of dollars annually, with individual files or livestreams selling for as much as $1,200 or as little as 27 pence. 20 Older estimates peg the global market at around $20 billion, though current figures suggest it’s multibillion-scale due to the rise in AI-generated content (up 1,325% from 2023-2024) and self-generated material (now 65% of reported content). 20 21 Profits flow through cryptocurrencies, dark web platforms, and even legitimate financial systems, benefiting offenders, tech companies (via ad revenue or hosting), payment processors, and cybersecurity firms that charge victims thousands for reputation management. 20

Organized crime plays a growing role, with offenses becoming more sophisticated and transnational. 14 In hotspots like the Philippines, large syndicates have shifted to smaller, family-based networks using digital tools for livestreaming and extortion. 20 The UN Office on Drugs and Crime notes that children make up about 30% of detected trafficking victims, often linked to sexual exploitation by organized groups. 8 18 High CSAM hosting in countries like the Netherlands (60% of Western Europe’s) and India points to commercial decisions by tech firms enabling this, including end-to-end encryption without safeguards. 21 Interpol and Europol operations have identified hundreds of victims and dismantled networks, with over 2.5 million CSAM reports processed in 2024. 21 3

Allegations of Elite Involvement

High-profile cases often involve wealthy or influential individuals accused of exploiting minors, though many claims remain allegations or have been settled without admissions of guilt. Jeffrey Epstein, a financier, was convicted in 2008 for procuring a minor for prostitution and faced further charges in 2019 for sex trafficking minors before his death. 22 24 His associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s abuse network, which allegedly spanned decades and involved trafficking for sexual purposes. 25 29 Unsealed court documents from a 2015 defamation lawsuit by victim Virginia Giuffre named associates like Prince Andrew (who settled a related civil suit in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing), Bill Clinton (mentioned in travel logs but not accused of abuse), and others in Epstein’s circle, though many were not implicated in crimes. 23 22

In Hollywood, figures like Harvey Weinstein faced accusations of sexual misconduct, including with minors in some claims, though his convictions focused on adult victims. 27 Epstein documents referenced celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, and Cameron Diaz in witness testimony, but only as social contacts—no abuse involvement was alleged. 30 Other cases include a former gymnastics coach at an elite academy arrested in 2025 for abusing young athletes, 6 and broader scandals in entertainment where child actors have reported exploitation by industry insiders. 9 Claims of widespread “elite” networks, like those in debunked Satanic panic theories from the 1980s-90s, involved over 12,000 unsubstantiated allegations of ritual abuse but lacked evidence. 2 Political figures have been embroiled in cover-ups of institutional abuse in some high-profile U.K. cases from the 2010s. 26