Fall in number of sites displaying child abuse images

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said the number of websites hosting images of child abuse has fallen for the third time in a row.

Marking its third annual awareness day, the organisation dedicated to stamping out child abuse online said that the number of calls it had received (27,000) had gone up by five per cent over the same period last year.

But only one in five (5,742) reports were confirmed by the IWF as images of child sexual abuse

Almost all these images (over 99 per cent) were traced to servers outside the UK. In order to get these sites shut down and investigated the IWF informs its global partners and relevant law enforcement agencies.

However, during the first three-quarters of this year, the IWF has issued 25 notices to companies in the UK about the abuse of their networks for the distribution of these images.

Each notice was quickly complied with and every identified instance of online child sexual abuse content in the UK was removed within a day of notification.

Eve Salomon, IWF chairwoman said: “With the help of our Hotline, the UK has an excellent record in eradicating child sexual abuse images on the internet in partnership with 35 other Hotlines around the world and with the support of our 100 industry members.

"These websites are reducing in number globally and where they are sited in the UK, they are removed extremely quickly.

“If you stumble across child sexual abuse images, it’s crucial you report it to us. We are focused on the swift removal of these images and helping the international effort to bring those responsible to justice and rescue children from sexual exploitation. Your reports to our Hotline really do make a difference.”