Hidden. Exploited. Trapped.
All it took was the click of a mouse—a tap on the screen—and Solenn* was sold in seconds. She needed someone to protect her.
This Form of Trafficking is on the Rise
We've all spent a lot more time online in the past year. Unfortunately, so have traffickers, and they are putting a growing number of children at risk of abuse.
Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) is a new form of trafficking, and its devastation is far-reaching. Put plainly, it’s the livestreaming of child sexual abuse for profit.
What was once confined to brothels, bars, and back-alleys is now widely available on the internet, endangering even more children. Right now, real children are being abused in real-time and this abuse is directed by sex offenders from around the world from the comfort of their own homes. Most of these offenders come from the U.S., Australia, Canada, the UK, and Europe.
This past year, live-streamed sexual abuse of children has tripled; it will only get worse unless we do something to stop it. Vulnerable children have no one to protect them. But you can help change that.
The Truth about OSEC
Over 750,000 predators are estimated to be online at any given moment.
Human trafficking generates about $150 billion a year.
The youngest child we’ve rescued: two months old. The average age is 11.
Solenn’s Story
Solenn was only 12 when she was first sexually abused in front of a desktop computer. She was too young to understand. It took her over a year to realize the true nature of what was happening.
“Even though they couldn’t touch me, I still felt really disgusted,” she told an IJM caseworker. But she was trapped; she felt like she couldn’t stop. “Sometimes there really isn’t much choice.”
Solenn’s story is one of many in places like the Philippines, where traffickers take advantage of strained justice systems to freely exploit children online for profit.
Because of supporters like you, our IJM team and local law enforcement finally found Solenn and brought her to safety. With your help, we can protect more children like her and put an end to trafficking for good.
We've accomplished so much together so far...
But there’s still so much work left to do. OSEC is still on the rise, and the number of children at risk of online exploitation every day. We won’t stop fighting until every single one of them is safe. Will you join us?