Online child sexual exploitation, 2014 to 2022

Release date: March 27, 2024
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Infographic: Online child sexual exploitation, 2014 to 2022
Description: Online child sexual exploitation, 2014 to 2022

Online child sexual exploitation includes online sexual offences against children, such as luring, and online child pornography.

Since 2014, the rate of police-reported incidentsNote 1 of online child sexual exploitation has more than tripled—from 50 incidents per 100,000 children and youth to 160 incidents in 2022.


Police‑reported incidents of online child sexual exploitation, 2014 to 2022
Table summary
This table displays the results of Police-reported incidents of online child sexual exploitation. The information is grouped by Year (appearing as row headers), Rate (appearing as column headers).
Year Rate
2014 50
2015 59
2016 87
2017 81
2018 76
2019 102
2020 135
2021 136
2022 160

The large majority (84%) of victims of police-reported online sexual offences against children were youth aged 12 to 17. Most (84%) victims were girls.
Table summary
This table displays the results of The large majority (84%) of victims of police-reported online sexual offences against children were youth aged 12 to 17. Most (84%) victims were girls. The information is grouped by Type of offence (appearing as row headers), Child victims (aged 11 and younger) and Youth victims (aged 12 to 17) (appearing as column headers).
Type of offence Child victims (aged 11 and younger) Youth victims (aged 12 to 17)
Luring a child 18% 82%
Non-consensual distribution of intimate images 3% 97%
Invitation to sexual touching 15% 85%
Other sexual offences against children 19% 81%
Total online sexual offences against children and youth 16% 84%

Police-reported online sexual offences against children: 15,630 incidents

Online child pornography: 45,816 incidents

Non-consensual distribution of intimate images

97% of victims were youth aged 12 to 17

Median age of victims:

  • Boys: 14 years
  • Girls: 15 years

Median age of accused persons:

  • Boys: 15 years
  • Girls: 14 years

Online sexual offences against children not solved by police: 59%

From 2014 to 2021, a third of online child sexual offence chargesNote 2 in adult criminal court resulted in a guilty finding

Number of charges processed: 30,983

Proportion resulting in a guilty finding:

  • Adult criminal court: 34%
  • Youth court: 44%

Sources: Savage, L., 2024, “Online child sexual exploitation: A statistical profile of police-reported incidents in Canada, 2014 to 2022,” Juristat, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 85-002-X; Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2014 to 2022, and Integrated Criminal Court Survey, 2014 to 2021.

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Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2024

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

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