Number of websites selling child abuse images doubled last year

The number of commercial websites selling images of children being sexually abused doubled last year, an internet monitoring organisation has found.

In its annual report published on Thursday, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said that it found 15,031 such sites in 2025, compared with 7,028 the previous year.

It also identified and digitally marked 317,101 images of child abuse, meaning tech companies can stop them being shared further.

Around 16% of the sites – 2,458 – were disguised to look as if they host legitimate content or appear inactive, but have a hidden way for paedophiles to access the material.

The IWF wants financial services to be forced to detect and report payment links for access to abuse images.

Kerry Smith, chief executive of the IWF, said: “It is clear criminals are exploiting systemic failures and are finding it far too easy to reap huge profits from children’s sexual exploitation.

“At every stage, we need to disrupt this system. It is an industry.

“We need mandatory measures on financial services to proactively detect, take down and report digital payment links for the sale of images and videos of child sexual abuse.

“We also need to see companies which use end-to-end encryption on their services adopt the tried and trusted safety tools which can prevent criminals using these platforms as safe havens to distribute child sexual abuse material.”

The number of children who reported being victims of so-called sextortion, where blackmailers trick or force them into providing graphic images that they threaten to release, also more than doubled last year.

The IWF saw 397 of these cases in 2025, most of which were reported to the Report Remove helpline which helps get images taken down. There were 175 in 2024.

Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the NSPCC, said: “The growing number of commercial child sexual abuse sites uncovered by the Internet Watch Foundation lays bare a severe problem, with malicious criminal gangs profiting off children’s pain.

“We know young victims of sexual exploitation are often left defenceless and can face re-traumatisation knowing images of themselves continue to circulate online. This form of abuse demands urgent action.

“Ofcom must use its powers and work with others to spot and disrupt these perpetrators at the source, before they impact more young lives.

“Equally, tech companies need to utilise existing technology that prevents children from taking, sharing, or receiving nude images.”

Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said: “These figures are sickening and we will not allow criminal gangs to profit from children’s unimaginable suffering.

“New laws in the Crime and Policing Bill will mean that anyone caught running or moderating these vile websites will face hefty prison sentences and we will not hesitate to go further.

“This government is choosing a side. Tech companies and the financial sector cannot keep turning a blind eye to an online marketplace that facilitates and profits from the sexual exploitation of children.

“We will use the full power of the British state to deliver the biggest crackdown against child abuse, both online and offline, that this country has ever seen.”