Alarming 'Child-on-Child' Sexual Abuse Now Accounts for Majority of Offending Cases, UK Police Warns

More than half of recorded sexual offences against children in England and Wales are now committed by other children aged 10 to 17, according to new figures. Police and child protection agencies have described the trend as deeply concerning, pointing to online risks, violent pornography and safeguarding failures as key drivers.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned that child sexual abuse is increasing in both scale and complexity, accelerated by technology and the spread of explicit material. Its latest National Strategic Assessment estimated that between 710,000 and 840,000 adults in the UK pose varying levels of sexual risk to children, while offending by under-18s continues to account for around half of all police-recorded cases.

Scale of the Problem

Data from the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP) shows that of the 115,489 child sexual abuse and exploitation offences recorded in 2023, 52 per cent of those where the offender's age was known involved perpetrators aged 10–17. Within this group, 41 per cent of cases related to indecent images of children and 58 per cent involved physical contact.

Four in five victims are girls where gender is recorded, though the NCA reports that boys aged 14–17 are increasingly targeted in financially motivated sexual extortion. Around three quarters of all abuse takes place outside of the family environment.

Assistant Chief Constable Becky Riggs, the UK policing lead for child protection, told Sky News that the figures represented a 'growing threat' that had escalated sharply over the past decade.

Why the Numbers Are Rising

Experts say multiple factors are fuelling the increase. Children now have near-constant access to smartphones, social media and pornography, much of it violent, which can distort perceptions of acceptable behaviour. Peer pressure also plays a role, with children encouraged or coerced into sharing self-generated sexual imagery.

The Internet Watch Foundation identified 291,273 webpages containing indecent images of children in 2024, a six per cent rise on the previous year. Of these, 91 per cent were self-generated, often produced under manipulation or threats. Victims were most commonly aged 13–14, though cases involving children as young as seven were also recorded.

Online Networks and New Technologies

The NCA has flagged the emergence of online groups, known as 'Com networks', where offenders promote misogynistic and nihilistic views while encouraging harmful behaviour. Members gain status by grooming, coercing or blackmailing victims into sexual acts or even self-harm.

Advances in technology are creating further challenges. Offenders have been found manipulating legal generative artificial intelligence tools to produce indecent images of children. US authorities reported a surge in AI-related abuse content in 2024, while UK investigators have secured convictions against individuals using the technology to generate illegal material.

How Agencies Are Responding

Police and child protection bodies are calling for tougher online safety measures, including stricter age verification, stronger moderation of platforms and safeguards around encryption. Officers say investigations are increasingly resource-intensive, requiring complex digital evidence gathering and sensitive handling of child victims and under-18 suspects.

Campaigners argue that earlier education in schools about consent and sexual behaviour is essential, alongside stronger parental oversight. Labour groups and charities are also pressing for more consistent support for victims and counselling services for young offenders.

The Challenge Ahead

Authorities acknowledge that awareness and reporting have improved, but under-reporting remains widespread, especially in familial or peer settings. The central challenge, police say, is ensuring prevention and safeguarding keep pace with rapidly evolving risks.

As online environments continue to drive offending and technology creates new avenues for harm, agencies stress that protecting vulnerable children will require sustained coordination between law enforcement, educators, parents and policymakers.