Police-reported incidents of online child sexual exploitation in Canada, 2024
Released: 2026-03-10
Police services across Canada reported 16,905 incidents of online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) in 2024, corresponding to a rate of 223 incidents per 100,000 population aged 17 years and younger—a 16% decline from 2023.
OCSE has become a global public health and safety concern with serious and potentially lifelong consequences for victims. OCSE is addressed by a wide range of Criminal Code offences that are grouped into two separate categories: online sexual offences against children—which include, for example, luring, invitation to sexual touching and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images involving victims aged 17 years and younger—and online child sexual abuse and exploitation material (OCSAEM) offences (formerly called child pornography).
The Juristat article released today, "Online child sexual exploitation: A statistical profile of police-reported incidents in Canada, 2024," uses police-reported data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey to examine the prevalence and nature of OCSE incidents reported by police services in Canada. Analysis focuses on the characteristics of OCSE incidents, victims and accused persons.
It is important to note that variations in rates between years may reflect differences in the recognition, reporting and investigation of OCSE incidents, rather than actual changes in the rate of occurrence. For example, the number of investigative resources allocated to policing units may influence the number of incidents reported to the UCR Survey. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC)—which serves as the primary point of contact in Canada for investigations related to the sexual exploitation of children on the Internet—forwards suspected cases of OCSE to the appropriate police jurisdiction for investigation. Many police services do not have the resources to investigate all cases forwarded by the NCECC because of a substantial increase in the volume and complexity of these cases (including an increase in generative artificial intelligence content). As a result, the numbers presented in this release likely reflect the number of police investigations for the year, accounting for only a subset of suspected OCSE cases within Canada.
Despite a 16% decrease from 2023 to 2024, the rate of online child sexual exploitation has risen by 347% since 2014
Following a 62% increase in the rate from 2022 to 2023, the decrease in the rate of OCSE from 2023 to 2024 was driven by a sharp decline (-26%) in the rate of OCSAEM reported by police. Consistent with previous years, OCSAEM incidents accounted for the majority (77%) of all OCSE incidents in 2024.
Chart 1
Police-reported online child sexual exploitation incidents, by year, Canada, 2014 to 2024
Despite the decline in the rate from 2023 to 2024, the rate of OCSE incidents has risen by 347% since 2014 (50 incidents per 100,000 population aged 17 years and younger in 2014, versus 223 incidents in 2024), largely attributable to a 443% increase in the rate of OCSAEM incidents. Over the same period, the rate of online sexual offences against children grew by 182%.
The rate of online sexual offences against children continues to increase in 2024
There were 3,927 police-reported incidents of online sexual offences against children in 2024, corresponding to a rate of 52 incidents per 100,000 population aged 17 years and younger. This rate was up by 43% from the previous year, driven by a sharp increase in the number of luring incidents reported by police in 2024.
Consistent with previous years, luring—the offence of communicating with a child or youth online for the purpose of committing a sexual offence—accounted for almost three-quarters (74%) of all police-reported online sexual offences against children in 2024. Following a slight decline (-3%) in 2023, the rate of luring incidents increased in 2024 (+65%) from 23 to 38 incidents per 100,000 population aged 17 years and younger, the highest rate on record since comparable data became available in 2014.
Rate of police-reported online child sexual exploitation highest for girl victims
There were 1,649 child and youth victims of police-reported online sexual offences against children in 2024, and more than three-quarters (78%) of victims were girls. The rate of online sexual offences against children was almost four times higher among girls (35 victims per 100,000 girls aged 17 years and younger), compared with boys (9 victims per 100,000 boys aged 17 years and younger).
Sharp drop in the number of online child sexual abuse and exploitation material incidents reported by police in 2024
Police services reported 12,978 OCSAEM incidents to the UCR Survey in 2024, corresponding to a rate of 171 incidents per 100,000 population aged 17 years and younger. Making or distributing OCSAEM accounted for 83% of all OCSAEM incidents in 2024, and the other 17% were for possessing or accessing OCSAEM.
Following a large (+81%) increase from 2022 to 2023, the rate of OCSAEM incidents decreased by 26% from 2023 to 2024, driving the decrease in the overall rate of OCSE incidents. The increase in OCSAEM incidents in 2023 was partially the result of more cases—both current and historical—being brought forward to local police services by specialized provincial Internet child exploitation police units and the NCECC.
Note to readers
The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey collects detailed information on criminal incidents that have come to the attention of police services in Canada. Information includes characteristics of incidents, victims and accused persons.
Beginning in 2014, a cybercrime indicator was introduced in the UCR Survey to allow police services across Canada to report information related to crime that is committed or facilitated online. In the UCR Survey, an incident is flagged as a cybercrime when the crime targets information and communications technology (ICT) or when ICT is used to commit the offence. To maintain consistency in measuring the cyber aspect of crime, analysis of cybercrime data is based on the most serious cyber violation in the incident, which may not be the most serious violation in the incident. From 2014 to 2024, the cyber violation was the most serious violation in 98% of online child sexual exploitation incidents. ICT includes, but is not limited to, the Internet, computers, servers, digital technology, digital telecommunications devices, phones and networks. Crimes committed over text and through messages using social media platforms are also considered cybercrime activity.
There are limitations to police-reported data. Research shows that sexual offences involving children and youth are often not reported to police because victims may, for example, be unaware that they are being victimized, not know how to seek help, be unable to report their victimization or be dependent on the perpetrator. Therefore, the data presented here likely underestimate the full scope of the issue.
Products
The article "Online child sexual exploitation: A statistical profile of police-reported incidents in Canada, 2024," is now available as part of the publication Juristat (85-002-X). The infographic "Police-reported online child sexual exploitation: Recent trends" (11-627-M) is also released today.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
- Date modified: