New research from Thorn highlights how digital spaces shape new pathways to child sexual exploitation, with social influence and digital currency playing a role.
LOS ANGELES, April 22, 2025 -- New research from Thorn, a nonprofit that builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age, reveals that 1 in 4 young people report receiving a solicitation to engage in sexual activity over the internet in return for something of value before turning 18.
The study, which surveyed roughly 1,200 young people ages 13-20 from across the U.S., underscores how young people are increasingly encountering requests for sexual exchanges. The study sheds light on the evolving landscape of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), highlighting emerging forms of victimization, at times lacking clear third-party traffickers, and involving more diverse forms of "compensation" (such as digital currencies and social capital).
Key findings from the report include:
- 1 in 4 (25%) surveyed reported receiving an online solicitation to exchange sexual imagery, engage in sexual talk, or participate in a sexual interaction over the internet in return for something of value while under 18.
- 15% of young people reported engaging in at least one such transactional sexual experience as a minor. Among those who engaged in these exchanges:
- 58% received money
- 33% received social opportunities (e.g., party invitations, more followers online)
- 28% received material goods like clothing, beauty products
- 9% received gaming currency
- 42% of young people who had such exchanges as a minor indicated that the other person involved—the 'buyer'—was another minor.
"These threats may be harder to recognize - colliding with normative peer exploration and interest in building online social clout - and thus harder to address," said Melissa Stroebel, Vice President of Research and Insights at Thorn. "Our goal is to shine a light on evolving risks like this so that platforms and the broader child protection community can work together to develop more effective interventions that directly address them."
The changing landscape of child sexual exploitation in the digital age
Thorn's latest study also reveals that the digital landscape presents persistent and unique challenges and risks for young people. Solicitations for sexual imagery are common for online interactions:
- 1 in 3 (36%) young people surveyed have been asked by someone they only knew online to share sexual imagery of themselves, and a majority (77%) of these had that experience before turning 16.
- Among those who did, more than half (58%) said the request happened within the first day of connecting.
While these solicitations do not necessarily involve an exchange for money or goods, they shape the broader online environment that young people are navigating — one in which sexual requests can happen quickly.
Who's "buying"? Breaking down buyers driving the demand
- 42% of minors who engaged in these exchanges said they had a "buyer" who was another minor.
- 45% said they had a buyer who they believed was an adult, with 39% saying they had a buyer who was a young adult (ages 18-24)and 33% saying they had a buyer who was 25 or older.
While money does play a role in many of these exchanges, the new research reveals that social and digital incentives, such as increased online followers, exclusive social opportunities, and gaming currencies, also play a significant role in shaping these harmful exchanges.
As digital spaces continue to evolve, these transactions are now fueled by the unique value of today's online communities. The normalcy of transactional interactions paired with sexual interactions in digital environments creates new and, often, overlooked pathways to exploitation.
"Digital environments are built to capture our attention and capitalize on engagement, which can lead to mistaking 'likes' or social reactions for real connection. Unfortunately, this creates new openings for risk and exploitation," said Melissa Stroebel, VP of Research & Insights at Thorn. "Digital spaces have not been designed with child safety top of mind, yet today's teens navigate them extensively — learning and seeking connection and belonging. It's vital we prioritize their needs and safety in the design of their digital environments, just as we do their offline environments."
Resources and action
To protect young people, Thorn emphasizes the need for collaborative solutions that bring together technology platforms, policymakers, caregivers, and others across the child safety ecosystem to address and account for these evolving dynamics and prevent harm.
Recommended resources include:
- The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's (NCMEC) Take It Down tool helps remove online nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos taken of someone before they were 18.
- NCMEC's CyberTipline, where you can report suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual abuse material, and other harms to children.
About Thorn
Thorn is a nonprofit that builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse. Founded in 2012, the organization creates products and programs to empower the platforms and people who have the ability to defend children. Thorn's tools have helped the tech industry detect and report millions of child sexual abuse files on the open web, connected investigators and NGOs with critical information to help them solve cases faster and remove children from harm, and provided parents and youth with digital safety resources to prevent abuse. To learn more about Thorn's mission to defend children from sexual abuse, visit thorn.org.
This News is brought to you by Qube Mark, your trusted source for the latest updates and insights in marketing technology. Stay tuned for more groundbreaking innovations in the world of technology.
