Protect Us Kids Report Reveals Alarming Surge in AI-Driven Child Exploitation Across the U.S.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Protect Us Kids Foundation today released a report titled, The State of Online Child Exploitation in the United States, revealing a dramatic rise in child sexual exploitation driven by artificial intelligence, encrypted communication platforms and social media. The report explores how emerging technologies are reshaping the landscape of child exploitation in the United States, and examines the most prevalent online threats and their greater impact on youth in rural and under-resourced communities.
The U.S. is facing a “digital child protection crisis.” Online child exploitation in the U.S. has evolved into a complex, technology-driven threat that extends far beyond traditional internet dangers. As AI tools, anonymous platforms and global networks expand, predators can manipulate, impersonate and exploit children with unprecedented speed and reach. This leaves federal laws, families and communities struggling to keep pace with the risks hidden behind everyday digital interactions.
“Children are being extorted, recruited and traumatized online faster than current response systems can keep up,” said Veda Woods, founder & chair of Protect Us Kids. “This isn’t just about individual predators, it’s an ecosystem of exploitation woven into our digital lives.”
Key findings from the report include:
- AI exploitation surged 380% in 2024, with more than 20,000 explicit synthetic images of minors discovered in a single dark web scan.
- Financial sextortion reports now average 100 per day, with dozens of teen suicides linked to these crimes since 2021.
- Teen boys are most often targeted in sextortion schemes, while girls and LGBTQ+ youth face the highest risk of grooming and trafficking.
- 26,823 cases of online child sex trafficking were reported in 2024 — a 55% increase from the prior year.
- Rural and under-resourced communities are hit hardest, as limited education and mental health access leave youth more exposed to exploitation.
- Generative AI and deepfake tools are being weaponized to create fake sexual images of minors, often with no legal accountability.
The Protect Us Kids Foundation works to prevent online child exploitation through cybersecurity, education and trauma-informed support for youth — especially those in rural and under-resourced communities. The organization is calling lawmakers, educators and tech leaders to act now by criminalizing synthetic CSAM, funding digital safety and recovery programs, and holding platforms accountable for detecting exploitation. It also urges the creation of community-based networks to ensure safe, stigma-free reporting and support.
To read the full report or to donate to the organization visit the website.
About Protect Us Kids
The Protect Us Kids Foundation is dedicated to combating human trafficking, focusing on the exploitation of children through digital channels. We provide educational programs, conduct research, build strategic partnerships and develop technological solutions to protect vulnerable youth globally.
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