The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported a dramatic rise in crimes targeting children online, including record increases in online enticement, child sex trafficking, and cases involving generative artificial intelligence. Reports of financial sextortion climbed from 13,842 in the first half of 2024 to 23,593 in the first half of 2025, with this rapidly growing form of cybercrime typically targeting teenage boys who are tricked into sharing explicit images and then threatened with public release unless they pay.
Offenders are now also creating fake sexualized deepfake images using photos from children public social media or school websites, which are then used for extortion or harassment.
