A new report has revealed a worrying trend of rising sexual exploitation and abuse of children online in Kenya. The report released by ChildFund International Africa Region and Africa Child Policy Forum (ACPF) reveals that Kenya is a hotspot for sexual abuse of children aged between 12 and 17 years.

According to the report, up to 13 percent of 12 to 17-year-olds surveyed in Kenya were threatened or blackmailed to engagein sexual activities online, highlighting how deep the vice is taking root with increased access to technology tools and the internet.

The report surveyed other African countries where around a fifth of children under 17 have received unsolicited online requests to talk about sex or sexual acts.

“The pervasive attitude that online crimes are not real crimes has created an atmosphere of virtual lawlessness,” saysACPF’s Executive Director, Dr Joan Nyanyuki. “Africa is witnessing a problem that is sharply on the rise, and the evidence shows that Africa may be the new frontier for online sexual predators.”

Even more alarming is the extremely young age of many victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse. Although there are no studies showing the scale of online child sexual exploitation and abuse of children across the continent, one survey showed more than 60 percent of unidentified victims were young children, 65 percent of them girls.

Mr Chege Ngugi, Africa Regional Director at ChildFund says inadequate laws and services, including fledgling technology-based surveillance and underdeveloped digital forensics capacity have created a fertile ground for potential sex criminals. “The key question for African countries is whether or not they are adequately prepared to provide greater protection and safeguarding for children online,” Mr Ngugi says.

Among the findings highlighted in three new OSEAC policy briefs from the two organizations is that up to a third of children aged 12-17 in Ethiopia and Mozambique shared personal information with strangers online. “19 percent of children aged 9-17 in South Africa and 21 percent aged 15-17 in Uganda received unwanted online requests to talk about sex or sexual acts,” it says. “Up to 13 percent of 12-17-year-olds in Kenya and Mozambique were threatened or blackmailed to engage in sexual activities online.”

On average, seven percent of children shared sexualized images of themselves online, while one-third of 9–17-year-olds in South Africa and over a quarter of 12-17-year-olds in Mozambique went onto a face-to-face meeting after an online contact.

“The impact of sexual abuse and exploitation of children – whether physical or online – is enormous,” said Dr Nyanyuki. “Children are being severely damaged physically, psychologically and socially. Victims of online child sexual exploitation and abuse often report experiencing feelings of anxiety, guilt and shame, loss of self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance and alcohol abuse and depression.”

The policy briefings also detail the multiple types of OSEAC perpetrator and the channels they use for their criminal activities.

“The factors that drive OSEAC in Africa are very similar to those in other parts of the world,” added Mr Ngugi. “But Africa is the continent with the fast-growing number of internet users – a generally lawless space which encourages criminals to commit these crimes without fear of detection and prosecution. We urge technology companies to take decisive action in detecting, reporting, and swiftly removing child sexual abuse materials from their platforms.”

The two organizations identify multiple criminal pathways to OSEAC in Africa, including the production, distribution and possession of child pornography; online grooming of children; sexting; the sexual extortion of children (‘sextortion’); revenge pornography; commercial sexual exploitation; online child prostitution; and the live streaming of sexual abuse.

“Across Africa, different policy measures have been designed and implemented to strengthen existing child protection systems and better protect children online,” noted Mr Ngugi. “However, progress is still hampered by limited evidence and understanding of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, lack of effective regulations and limited technological capabilities.”