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Every day children are unknowingly targeted by online predators.
Hiding behind a computer, or a phone, with a fake profile, these criminals use social media, chat apps and even gaming platforms to trick children by gaining their trust.
This vast online world has led to a surge in child sexual abuse material.
A 2024 report by the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) and Child Fund revealed that one in five children under 17 has received "unsolicited" sexual requests online. In South Africa, a third of them met their predator in person.
The report also reveals the rapid increase in online child sexual exploitation and abuse across Africa, including infants and toddlers. With 65% of the victims being girls.
Crime expert Mike Bolhuis warns that child sexual abuse material is one of the biggest cybercrimes in South Africa, yet is very difficult to investigate.
Police are dealing with paedophiles who uses patience and psychological manipulation to lure their victims.
Unlike rapists who will commit the crime and then leave, Bolhuis explains that these sexual predators take their time to identify their victims, building strong emotional bonds and making children feel loved. They then exploit that trust and vulnerability.
Bolhuis adds that while paedophiles generally do not intend to kill their victims, they steal their innocence and identity.
"These child abusers are normal people that have wives and have sex with their partners," he says, but "will always be thinking in future they will be having sex with children until it gets to that point."
He says it is “the worst addiction to break.”
And because these perpetrators do not have a specific profile, it is very difficult to identify them.
Bolhuis describes them as intelligent, friendly and outgoing, which makes their detection even harder. Children, who often lack awareness of sexual predators and grooming tactics, are especially vulnerable.
This allows criminals to commit their crimes without suspicion, often also delving into rape, human trafficking and sextortion.
Some he says either hurt, sell or kill children, while others may film themselves engaging in sexual acts with children.
"They never have enough. You would think if they have 100 photos it is enough, but they always want more. To them, a photo is one blink, and they want the next one."
This abuse can see children act out sexually, even with their peers, without them being aware of the consequences.
While the amount of money generated from child sexual abuse material is unclear, Bolhuis believes it accounts for up to 13% of the world’s illegal economy.
This growing criminal activity highlights the urgent need to protect South Africa’s children.
In a recent raid, a couple from Midrand was arrested for possession, accessing, downloading and distributing child sexual abuse material, as well as fraud and the possession of drugs.
SAPS spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk, says a forensic analysis of their devices revealed 10 million images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
Police also seized a large sum of cash, believed to be proceeds from the crime.
Despite the growing threat, Van Wyk says that law enforcement is actively tackling these crimes.
She explains that the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit consists of a specialised team of detectives. It is one of the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) units.
In 2017, 10 SECI units were established, one for each province and a national one to effectively investigate crimes committed through electronic mediums.
Police believe the FCS and other SECI units have made progress in clamping down on these crimes.
Van Wyk says in the last two years, 22 suspects were arrested countrywide on charges related to child sexual abuse material.
She notes that the growing number of social media sites and websites have made it easier for predators to target their victims, and engage with like-minded people committing the same crimes.
"It is also a crime when parents receive pictures depicting child sexual abuse material and innocently share it with another adult. If you find that it reaches your device rather report it," she advises
“With the digital world continuously growing, so too are the dangers lurking in its shadows,” Van Wyk warns.
“There are different scenarios. Often at times, online platforms are used. Here perpetrators may depict themselves as another child just to find that the person at the other end of the platform is an adult. This is how grooming happens.,” she adds.
Van Wyk sees child sexual abuse material as a borderless crime, with suspects engaging with others suspects outside of South Africa.
This forces police to engage with international law enforcement, often through national tip-off lines.
“When we identify victims within our borders, it's all hands on deck. We need to use all resources to investigate and to provide assistance to the victims.
“This is where the department of Social Development and relevant NGOs come on board and assist in arranging trauma response,” she explains.
Van Wyk also urges parents to be more vigilant about how long their children spend on social media.
TIPS FROM POLICE• Parents need to be more aware about cellphone and other device use • Download apps to monitor children's social media engagement and usage • When children approach parents or teachers about possible sexual abuse, don’t dismiss it, rather reported |
As police, NGOs and parents face dealing with the growing problem of child sexual abuse material, they need to be aware of how predators are increasingly exploiting the anonymity of the digital space to target children.
By Zandile Khumalo