NCMEC reports indicate 35% increase in Online Child Sexual Exploitation in 2021

New data released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicate an increase in suspected online child sexual abuse and exploitation  by 35% in 2021. NCMEC received a total of 29.3 million reports in 2021 on its CyberTipline, as compared to 21.7 million reports in 2020 and 16.9 million reports in 2019.

The data of NCME reveals that nearly all types of exploitation increased in 2021, including a 16.5% increase in online enticement. The number of videos of child sexual abuse were more than still images. NCMEC reported that based on the analysis of the reports, they could alert law enforcement regarding 4,260 new child victims depicted in child sexual abuse imagery.