Data from the Youth Justice Board shows the number of children committing sexual offences is on the rise. This can include sexual images that a young person creates of themselves. Internet Matters research found that almost half (49%) of teenagers aged 13-16 have heard about abuse of another young person’s sexual image. This includes an image being shared without consent and/or threats to do so; and creation of sexual images without consent, including ‘deepfake’ nude images. “Most young people don’t know or understand that sharing explicit content of their peers is considered a sexual offence,” suggests Wilson.

Source: Huffington Post February 28, 2026 07:41 UTC