Children as young as three are being subjected to “disturbing” acts of sexual exploitation, according to a report by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).

Warning: This story contains child sexual abuse imagery

Last year was the most extreme year on record for the IWF’s abuse hotline, which saw a 22% increase in “Category A” imagery.

Category A imagery includes images involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal or sadism.

For the first time, the charity analyzed a full year’s worth of data on abuse against three to six-year-olds and found that these young children were being targeted while online on phones and devices within the family home.

“All ‘self-made’ child sexual abuse images are horrifying, but it is particularly disturbing to see so many young children in these images and videos,” the report said.

The volume of “self-made” child sexual abuse images increased by 27% in one year. It is created by the perpetrator as they remotely direct the victim and record it with a webcam. It contains most of the offensive images analyzed by the IWF.

“The term ‘self-generated’ does not imply that the child himself is instigating the creation of this sexual material,” the report’s authors said.

“They are being groomed, forced and in some cases blackmailed to engage in sexual behavior. They are never to blame for the creation or existence of this fantasy.”

Most of the photographs depict children in home environments and often in children’s bedrooms. In the background, analysts saw soft toys, games, books and bedding featuring cartoon characters.

“These are very young children, believed to be in the safety of their bedrooms, and probably unaware that the activities they are being forced to do are being recorded,” the report said. and being saved and ultimately shared multiple times across the Internet.”

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‘Predators are targeting younger and younger victims’

IWF is one of the few non-governmental organizations worldwide that has legal powers to actively seek out online child sexual exploitation so that it can be removed from the internet and passed on to the police.

The charity is now calling for children under six to be warned about online dangers.

“Opportunistic criminals who seek to involve your children in disturbing acts of sexual abuse are not a remote threat,” said Susie Hargreaves, chief executive of IWF.

“They are now trying to talk to them on phones and devices that you can find in any family home.

“If children under six are being targeted, we need to have age-appropriate conversations now to make sure they know how to recognize the threats.”

Security Minister Tom Tugenhardt said, “This extremely disturbing report shows that predators are increasingly targeting underage victims.”

“My message to parents is to talk to their children about their use of social media, because even the platforms you think are safe may pose risks.”

Last week, Ofcom published a report showing that more than 40% of parents of five to seven-year-olds say they use social media with their child, while a third admitted That their child uses social media independently.

Nearly 30% of parents of these young children also said they would allow their child to create a profile on social media before they reach the required minimum age.

“Criminals are gaining access to even younger children, which is unimaginable to all of us,” said Ian Critchley, NPCC head of child protection.

“But it’s not just the responsibility of parents and carers – although the biggest change we should see is from tech companies and online platforms.

“Companies are still failing to protect children and often continue to put profits before child safety.”