Report abuse
Live-streaming of Child Sexual Exploitation
Live-streamed child sexual exploitation is when a child is sexually abused or exploited while the abuse is shown to viewers over the internet as it happens. It can be hard to see and leaves few traces, which is why every report matters. This page explains how it works, how to spot it, and how to report it safely.
This hidden block holds the styles of this page, the Quick exit button and the phone help bar (Call, Chat, Report, Exit). Do not delete it. The words of the page are in the sections below.
If you have seen or heard of it
Four things to do <em>right now</em>
You did nothing wrong by seeing it or hearing about it. What you do next can help a child.
If a child is in immediate danger, call the national police hotline on 1288 or contact your local police for help.
Understand
What is live-streamed abuse?
Live-streaming of child sexual exploitation means using a child in sexual activity that is broadcast over the internet in real time. People watch while it happens, and some of them may tell the abuser what to do.
How it differs from a video call
A video call is a two-way conversation between people who can see and hear each other. Live-streaming is a broadcast: it is sent out as it happens, often to many viewers, and the viewers usually watch without being seen. Live content is also very hard for platforms to check, because it is gone before anyone can review it. That is why children can also be shown unsuitable content on live platforms.
Why it is so harmful
- The abuse happens for an audience, and the child may be abused again and again, on demand.
- Viewers can record the stream, so a live event can become permanent child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
- Because there is often no file to find, it can stay hidden for a long time.
It is a serious crime, and the child is always the victim. Reporting does not get you in trouble: the hotline exists so that people can report safely.
Why it matters
The harm is real and lasting
Behind every stream is a real child. Children who have been abused in this way may feel fear, shame and a sense of being watched, even long after it stops. Some are afraid that someone will recognise them. None of this is their fault.
With the right support, children can recover and feel safe again. Early reports are often what brings a child to that help.
How it happens
How it can happen
Knowing the patterns helps you notice them. This is general information, and each case is different.
Who is at risk
Who is at risk?
Any child can be harmed. Children are more at risk when they are poor or in need, when an adult who controls them is willing to profit from them, when they are alone online, or when someone they trust misuses that trust.
It is not only a problem “somewhere else”. Cambodian children can be streamed to viewers abroad, and viewers can also be in Cambodia. Offenders are not always strangers, and that is why children also need to know that no adult may ask them to keep a sexual secret or to perform on camera.
Warning signs
Signs to notice
One sign alone does not prove anything. Several together, or a sudden change, are a reason to gently check in.
In a child
- Sudden fear, withdrawal or sleeping problems
- Hiding the phone or camera, or being very secretive about being online, especially at night or behind a closed door
- New gifts, money or phones the child cannot explain
- An adult who keeps a child alone with a device, or insists on being present
- Sexual words or knowledge that do not fit the child’s age
In a place or situation
- A device or camera set up in a bedroom or bathroom, or aimed at a child
- Adults who ask a child to “do a show” for visitors or online
- A household that suddenly has money with no clear source, and a child who is always on camera
In a stream or chat
- A child who seems to be following instructions from off-screen
- A chat that asks for sexual acts or sends payments, or a room that looks like a “request” page
Clear the confusion
Myths and facts
Myth
- “It is only on a screen, so nobody is really hurt.”
- “If I only watch, I am not part of it.”
- “If the child seems willing, it is not abuse.”
- “It disappears when the stream ends, so there is nothing to report.”
- “It only happens in other countries.”
- “Reporting will get me or the family in trouble.”
Fact
- A real child is abused, and the harm is as real as if it were in the room.
- Viewers who watch and pay help to make the abuse happen. Watching and paying are crimes.
- A child cannot consent to sexual abuse, and may be pressured, paid or afraid.
- Account names, links, times and payments are useful evidence, so a report is still worth making.
- It can happen in any country, including this one.
- The hotline exists to protect children and to help people report safely, and you can stay anonymous.
What to do
If you see it or suspect it
Whether you came across a stream or you are worried about a child, you can report even if you are not sure.
Do
- Leave the stream or chat.
- Write down the app, account name, link, time and anything that identifies where it is.
- Report to APLE. You can stay anonymous.
- Report it on the platform too, using its report button.
- If you know the child, make sure they are safe and tell a trusted adult or a professional.
- Talk to someone you trust about how you feel.
Do not
- Record, screenshot or share it.
- Keep watching, comment, or send money or gifts.
- Join the room to find out more.
- Confront the person who is streaming, or the family, on your own.
- Wait to be sure. Report what you know.
- Blame the child.
If this is happening to you, it is not your fault, whatever you were told and whatever you did. You can tell APLE in secret, and we will talk through your options before anything happens. Call 092 311 511 or chat with Pisey. If you are in danger now, call 1288. For help with pictures or video of you, see the sextortion page.
Build your skills
How to report live-streaming
What to note
- Where: the app or website, and the link if there is one.
- Who: the account name or ID of the streamer, the room and any usernames.
- When: the date and time (and time zone), and how long you watched.
- What: a few words about what you saw, without describing the child in detail.
- Anything that shows where it is: a language, a place or a payment request.
Live streams often end quickly, so write the details down as soon as you leave. Never record or attach the video. Just the details.
What happens next
A trained APLE analyst reviews the report. Where a child may be at risk, APLE works with the police and with partner hotlines in other countries, and asks platforms to act. APLE is a member of INHOPE, a network of hotlines in many countries. You can stay anonymous. If you leave contact details, they are kept confidential.
The steps for reporting inside an app, and what the report form asks, are on the sextortion page. If you saw a recording of abuse, see the CSAM page.
What everyone can do
How you can help
- Report what you see or suspect. A report with an account name and a time can help the police find the child.
- Talk to children about it. Explain that no one may ask them to perform on camera, and that they can tell you anything without being punished.
- Look out for each other. Notice a child who is always on a device late at night, or an adult who gets money from a child’s online activity.
- Do not pay or watch. Paying to watch or to give instructions is a crime and makes the abuse happen.
- Use platform tools. Report accounts and streams, and check the settings of apps your family uses.
For parents, teachers and professionals
If a child is involved
Parents, caregivers and teachers
- Stay calm. Tell the child it is not their fault, and thank them for telling you.
- Make sure the child is safe now, and away from the person involved.
- Do not punish or take away every device without talking. Write down what you know, then report to APLE and the police.
- Get support for the child from a counsellor or a trusted professional.
Talking about online safety early helps: see the grooming page and the sextortion page.
Schools and organisations
- Teach children that no adult may ask them to be on camera in a sexual way, and who they can tell.
- Keep a clear rule that staff report any concern the same day, and know who the child protection lead is.
Professionals
- Do not view more than you must, and do not copy, store or forward any recording. Record links, account names, dates and what was reported.
- Report to the APLE hotline and, where required, to the police.
- Payments and account details can matter. Record them, and share them only with those who must act.
- Look after your own wellbeing if you were exposed to this material.
Practise
What would you do?
Read each situation and decide what you would do. Then open it to compare.
Say out loud what you would do, then compare. The aim is to leave, not record or share, note the details and report.
Do not join or reply. Note the link and the sender’s name, and report to APLE. Block the sender and tell a trusted adult.
Do not confront the family. Write down what you have noticed, with dates, and call APLE on 092 311 511 or report online. You do not need proof. If you think the child is in danger now, call 1288.
Say no, end the chat and block the account. Do not send any picture. Tell a trusted adult, and report the account. See the grooming page.
Believe them, and tell them it is not their fault. Do not promise to keep it secret. Tell your child protection lead and report to APLE and the police the same day.
Questions
Questions people ask
Yes. A video call is two-way between people who can see each other. Live-streaming is broadcast to viewers, who often watch without being seen.
Yes. You do not need proof or to be sure. Report what you saw or noticed, and the hotline will assess it.
No. You can stay anonymous. Do not record or share the stream, because that is where the risk lies.
No. Leave, note the details and report it. Do not return to look again.
Recording makes another copy of the abuse, and keeping it is a crime. The details you note (account, link, time) are what the analysts need.
Watching, paying for or directing live abuse is part of the crime of child sexual exploitation in many countries. If you are tempted to seek out this material, please get confidential professional help before a child is harmed.
Poverty never makes it acceptable, and the child is the victim. APLE can talk about support for the child and family. Please report.
Platforms can close accounts and remove content, and the hotline asks them to act. If it was recorded, see the CSAM page for removal.
It depends on the case. APLE works with the police and partners and offers free, confidential support to the child, including counselling and legal help where needed. Nothing happens without talking through the options first.
Say you believe them, it is not their fault, and you want to help. Do not push for details or promise secrecy. Then call APLE together.
That is normal. Talk to someone you trust, rest, and avoid looking at more. APLE’s team will listen, and you can call 092 311 511 at any time.
Anyone: a child, a friend, a parent, a teacher, a professional. You can stay anonymous.
Report
Report live-streaming to APLE
Anyone can report. You can stay anonymous. Give the details, never a recording. Not sure what to write? See how to report on the sextortion page.
Prefer to talk? Call 092 311 511 at any time, or chat with Pisey. If a child is in immediate danger, call the police hotline on 1288.
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