The quarantine led to a tenfold increase in child pornography images  

A dark age for humanity

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has revealed how pedophiles have taken full advantage of the quarantine period, with images of children in sexual acts increasing tenfold. The IWF identified more than 63,000 websites with such content, while before the pandemic the number was limited to 5,000.

During the pandemic, the internet was a lifeline but we are only now discovering the full implications. What is clear is that younger children were being lured into abusive situations by unscrupulous predators, often in their own rooms.

The scary thing is that there has been a significant increase in images of children abusing themselves in front of the camera, usually under the instructions of a pedophile. This type of content now makes up 2/3 of all content identified by researchers. Many of the videos are recorded in a live stream from the bathroom or the child’s room, and many times household sounds can also be heard in the background. Other videos are recorded without the child’s knowledge via live chat and then sold to pedophiles.

Over 8,000 files recorded involve children aged 7-10 and are classified as Class A material, which refers to the most serious cases involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with animals or sadism.

The IWF’s goal is to hold the heads of technology platforms criminally responsible for their failure to prevent, identify and remove child sexual abuse and exploitation content.