Previously published data show that police-reported online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) is on the rise in Canada. This could reflect an actual increase in OCSE, in combination with greater awareness and reporting among the general population, as well as more police resources being allocated toward better detecting this type of crime. OCSE includes a wide range of criminal offences, including luring, invitation to sexual touching, the non-consensual distribution of intimate images involving victims aged 17 years and younger, and online child pornography (including child pornography generated using artificial intelligence).
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