Ottawa, Canada
Disclaimer: Some readers may find the story disturbing. Discretion is advised.
An experienced child exploitation investigator told Reuters he reported 26 accounts on the popular adults-only website OnlyFans to authorities, saying they appeared to contain sexual content featuring underage teen girls.
“What is alarming is the scope and scale of it,” said Matt W.J. Richardson, head of intelligence at The Canadian Open Source Intelligence Centre. He noted that many accounts featured more than one female who he suspected was underage.
Within a day of his Dec. 16 report to authorities, all of the accounts had been removed from OnlyFans, said Richardson, whose organization trains law enforcement and government agencies in open source intelligence to help combat crimes such as human trafficking and child exploitation.
Richardson said he reported the 26 accounts as containing suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children, the US-based clearinghouse for CSAM-related tips.
Some of the accounts were linked to each other through promotional posts, suggesting they may have been controlled by the same person or group, Richardson said.
The images in the accounts featured females with physical attributes typical of those under the age of 18, Richardson said. Most had narrow hips and lacked physical maturation, he said. Many had narrow shoulders or appeared to be “well short of five feet tall,” he said.
Sexually explicit images of minors are banned in most countries, including the US, UK, and Canada, and are against OnlyFans rules. On its website, OnlyFans says it prohibits content featuring the exploitation or abuse of anyone under 18,  even if it’s adults “pretending to be” under 18.
The National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children (NCMEC) told Reuters it could not comment on reports made to its tip line. Generally, NCMEC said, it tries to confirm whether reported webpages actively host child sexual abuse material or exploitive content. When warranted, it notifies the company hosting the material; it's then up to the company whether to remove or block the content. In addition, all tips are “referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for possible investigation,” NCMEC said.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gotta-keep-this-sucker-for-a-little-while-trump-signals-averting-ban-on-tiktok-786087">‘Gotta keep this s**ker for a little while,’ Trump signals averting ban on TikTok</a>
Responding to the findings of this story, an OnlyFans spokesperson said the company has a “zero tolerance approach” to child sexual abuse material on the platform and has “strict onboarding processes to ensure all creators are over the age of 18.” OnlyFans works closely with NCMEC to “thoroughly investigate any reports they receive from others about our platform,” the spokesperson said.
She did not respond to a question about why the 26 accounts were taken down only after Richardson reported them.
OnlyFans has said it vets all content and swiftly removes and reports any suspected child sexual abuse material when detected. The company has a “pre-check team” that uses technology to detect content that’s “extremely likely to be a child,” CEO Keily Blair said in a speech in August. OnlyFans invests heavily in content moderation, Blair has said, which allows it to “focus on keeping the community safe and keeping the community for adults only.” OnlyFans also says all content is ultimately reviewed by human moderators.
The spokesperson noted that OnlyFans itself made 347 reports to NCMEC in 2023, “vastly fewer than the millions of instances that are reported by other social media platforms where users can remain anonymous and where content is unmoderated.”
OnlyFans’ 4.1 million content creators typically sell explicit images and videos for a monthly subscription fee, plus one-off payments. The company keeps a fifth of the revenue. The subscriptions effectively place paywalls around nearly every OnlyFans account, making the site difficult to scrutinize.
In a July investigation, Reuters used US police and court records to document 30 complaints to law enforcement that child sexual abuse material appeared on OnlyFans between Dec. 2019 and June 2024. The case files examined by Reuters cited more than 200 explicit videos and images of kids, including some adults having oral sex with toddlers.
OnlyFans told Reuters at that time that NCMEC has “full access” to the site behind its paywalls. But NCMEC said access was “limited” to OnlyFans accounts reported to its tip line or connected to a missing child case. Aside from that, NCMEC said it “does not proactively monitor, moderate, or actively seek to review content at scale” behind the paywall of OnlyFans.
<h2>Emojis of lollipops &amp; baby bottles</h2>
In recent months, Reuters separately examined non-explicit public profile photos, bios and posts of OnlyFans creators who shared near-identical promotional language in their posts. Access to the material was open to the public without a paid OnlyFans subscription.
Female creators in 49 of those accounts had non-explicit profile photos that appeared childlike, according to three people with professional experience identifying child exploitation, including Richardson. Richardson said the 26 cases he reported to NCMEC overlapped with four of those Reuters identified.
Eric Silverman, a researcher for Culture Reframed, an organization focused on raising awareness about the harms of pornography to youth, said the 49 profile photos raised serious concern.
“Their appearance, wide-eyed, innocent look, the pouting, the finger in the mouth, all these are visual cues that convey childhood,” he said. “Even if every single one of them is verifiably 18 or older, you still have to confront the issue that OnlyFans is profiting from the sexual portrayal of women who appear to be underage.”
The accounts dated back months, as far as December 2023. All 49 of them were taken down after Reuters contacted OnlyFans about its findings.
A company spokesperson said OnlyFans reviewed the user names provided by Reuters. “In every case, the Creators’ Government identity documents had been checked and verified by a third party which confirmed the documents are valid, and all individuals are over the age of 18.”
The company did not answer a question about why the 49 accounts were removed. OnlyFans also did not respond when asked to identify the “third party” that confirmed the documents.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-questions-security-measures-after-deadly-car-attack-at-magdeburg-christmas-market-786251">Germans questions security measures after deadly car attack at Magdeburg Christmas market</a>
Reuters could not verify the ages of the females featured in the profiles of the 49 accounts or whether their photos had been digitally altered. OnlyFans’ website says verified creators can post AI-generated content of themselves but must disclose it by, for example, including the hashtag #ai. The 49 accounts identified by Reuters didn’t have that hashtag or language flagging the use of AI.
The public details of those accounts often included emojis such as teddy bears, lollipops, or baby bottles. In their non-explicit profile photos, some females wore their hair in pigtails or braids. Others had braces. Many referred to themselves in diminutive terms such as “small,” “tiny,” “petite” or “mini.”
Some described themselves as “shy” or “innocent.” One profile description read, “If you came to my page, it means you love little, inexperienced girls like me!”
One profile photo was of a female, dressed in a skin-tight, rainbow-colored fishnet top and described on her OnlyFans page as a “petite princess” who “may look innocent​​” but is looking for a “well experienced man.”
“She doesn't even look 15,” said Lori Cohen, CEO of Protect All Children from Trafficking or PACT, a US non-profit dedicated to eradicating child sexual exploitation and trafficking.
“It's a very disturbing image,” Cohen said.
<h2>‘This isn’t small scale’</h2>
Richardson said the 26 accounts he reported suggested possible coordination by content creators.
Typically, an OnlyFans creator has a public profile with one or more photos, and subscribers can log in to view explicit content involving that creator. But in the cases examined by Richardson, the creators often posted images advertising multiple other females, some of whom appeared underage, and linked to those females’ OnlyFans accounts, he said.
“This isn't small scale. It's not like one or three or four,” said Richardson. “How many really are out there?”
In some of the 26 accounts Richardson reported on Dec. 16, the profile photo of the OnlyFans creator featured what looked like an adult female, he said, but the photos posted within the account included those of suspected underage females along with their OnlyFans account names.
“Some of them appear to be very young and tiny,” he said.
He said some of the content in the 26 accounts could have been “legacy CSAM”: sexually explicit photos taken when the female was a girl but posted when she was 18 or over. These would still violate laws governing child sexual abuse material, three legal experts told Reuters.
Richardson has previously conducted research into OnlyFans. In 2022, he and other researchers reported that they found creator profiles with “common indicators” of child sexual abuse material or sex trafficking, including keywords and other language. Shortly after their report was published, one US lawmaker entered it into the Congressional Record, the official chronicle of congressional proceedings.
In the 49 public profiles Reuters reviewed, many of the account names included the words – or variations of the words – “little,” “baby,” “sweet” or “Lolita.” Those names, when combined with images of young females, can be used to advertise child sexual abuse material, said the specialists consulted by Reuters.
The posts sometimes referred to females in schoolgirl or other child-oriented terms. One, for example, stated: ”The depraved babe @[account name redacted by Reuters] ran away from schоol.” It continued: “Subscribe and punish her!” The account was removed by Dec. 17, the day after Reuters contacted OnlyFans about its findings.
Bios or posts in the accounts Reuters identified often included references to females being 18 or having just turned 18. “I've been waiting to turn 18 for a long time so I could register on Onlyfans, and here I am,” read the profile of one female, who Cohen said appeared younger.
“There's a fullness to her face that is often associated with youth. She's got disproportionately large eyes, and children tend to have larger eyes on their face relative to adults,” said Cohen.
Even if the females actually were 18, child exploitation experts said that’s still a problem because the images themselves suggested they might be underage. “It creates a demand for younger and younger bodies,” said Cohen. “This type of behavior normalizes pedophilia.”
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgia-gay-couple-gets-100-years-in-jail-for-raping-adopted-sons-and-filming-child-pornography-786444">Georgia gay couple gets 100 years in jail for raping adopted sons and filming child pornography</a>
It is unlikely that a person could be successfully prosecuted for child sexual abuse material in a scenario where an adult is posing as a minor, because governing statutes generally focus on the participant’s actual age, three legal experts told Reuters.
Among  the 49 accounts Reuters examined, the creators often used nearly identical language to describe themselves or particular sex acts.
“I don’t like parties or noisy clubs, I’m more of a home person, Netflix and chill is my kind of weekend,” one female wrote in her profile. Another used notably similar language: “I'm not a big fan of parties and noisy clubs. I'm more of a homebody, you know? Netflix and chill – that's my idea of a perfect weekend.”
As of mid-December, Reuters documented more than 150 instances in which posts from different accounts used identical or nearly identical language. Many of those posts, spread across 25 of the 49 accounts Reuters reviewed, also shared the same combinations of emojis.
A half dozen of those posts, all purporting to have been written by different creators, promised for instance that “this beauty will play with her tight holes just for you.”
Multiple others promised a “gorgeous doll for your hot desires” or a girl who “is all alone right now and needs some new attention.”
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Richardson said he reported the 26 accounts as containing suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the US-based clearinghouse for CSAM-related tips



Ottawa, Canada Disclaimer: Some readers may find the story disturbing. Discretion is advised. An experienced child exploitation investigator told Reuters he reported 26 accounts on the popular adults-only website OnlyFans to authorities, saying they appeared to contain sexual content featuring underage teen girls. “What is alarming is the scope and scale of it,” said Matt W.J. Richardson, head of intelligence at The Canadian Open Source Intelligence Centre. He noted that many accounts featured more than one female who he suspected was underage. Within a day of his Dec. 16 report to authorities, all of the accounts had been removed from OnlyFans, said Richardson, whose organization trains law enforcement and government agencies in open source intelligence to help combat crimes such as human trafficking and child exploitation. Richardson said he reported the 26 accounts as containing suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the US-based clearinghouse for CSAM-related tips. Some of the accounts were linked to each other through promotional posts, suggesting they may have been controlled by the same person or group, Richardson said. The images in the accounts featured females with physical attributes typical of those under the age of 18, Richardson said. Most had narrow hips and lacked physical maturation, he said. Many had narrow shoulders or appeared to be “well short of five feet tall,” he said. Sexually explicit images of minors are banned in most countries, including the US, UK, and Canada, and are against OnlyFans rules. On its website, OnlyFans says it prohibits content featuring the exploitation or abuse of anyone under 18, even if it’s adults “pretending to be” under 18. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) told Reuters it could not comment on reports made to its tip line. Generally, NCMEC said, it tries to confirm whether reported webpages actively host child sexual abuse material or exploitive content. When warranted, it notifies the company hosting the material; it's then up to the company whether to remove or block the content. In addition, all tips are “referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for possible investigation,” NCMEC said. Also read | ‘Gotta keep this s**ker for a little while,’ Trump signals averting ban on TikTok Responding to the findings of this story, an OnlyFans spokesperson said the company has a “zero tolerance approach” to child sexual abuse material on the platform and has “strict onboarding processes to ensure all creators are over the age of 18.” OnlyFans works closely with NCMEC to “thoroughly investigate any reports they receive from others about our platform,” the spokesperson said. She did not respond to a question about why the 26 accounts were taken down only after Richardson reported them. OnlyFans has said it vets all content and swiftly removes and reports any suspected child sexual abuse material when detected. The company has a “pre-check team” that uses technology to detect content that’s “extremely likely to be a child,” CEO Keily Blair said in a speech in August. OnlyFans invests heavily in content moderation, Blair has said, which allows it to “focus on keeping the community safe and keeping the community for adults only.” OnlyFans also says all content is ultimately reviewed by human moderators. The spokesperson noted that OnlyFans itself made 347 reports to NCMEC in 2023, “vastly fewer than the millions of instances that are reported by other social media platforms where users can remain anonymous and where content is unmoderated.” OnlyFans’ 4.1 million content creators typically sell explicit images and videos for a monthly subscription fee, plus one-off payments. The company keeps a fifth of the revenue. The subscriptions effectively place paywalls around nearly every OnlyFans account, making the site difficult to scrutinize. In a July investigation, Reuters used US police and court records to document 30 complaints to law enforcement that child sexual abuse material appeared on OnlyFans between Dec. 2019 and June 2024. The case files examined by Reuters cited more than 200 explicit videos and images of kids, including some adults having oral sex with toddlers. OnlyFans told Reuters at that time that NCMEC has “full access” to the site behind its paywalls. But NCMEC said access was “limited” to OnlyFans accounts reported to its tip line or connected to a missing child case. Aside from that, NCMEC said it “does not proactively monitor, moderate, or actively seek to review content at scale” behind the paywall of OnlyFans. Emojis of lollipops & baby bottles In recent months, Reuters separately examined non-explicit public profile photos, bios and posts of OnlyFans creators who shared near-identical promotional language in their posts. Access to the material was open to the public without a paid OnlyFans subscription. Female creators in 49 of those accounts had non-explicit profile photos that appeared childlike, according to three people with professional experience identifying child exploitation, including Richardson. Richardson said the 26 cases he reported to NCMEC overlapped with four of those Reuters identified. Eric Silverman, a researcher for Culture Reframed, an organization focused on raising awareness about the harms of pornography to youth, said the 49 profile photos raised serious concern. “Their appearance, wide-eyed, innocent look, the pouting, the finger in the mouth, all these are visual cues that convey childhood,” he said. “Even if every single one of them is verifiably 18 or older, you still have to confront the issue that OnlyFans is profiting from the sexual portrayal of women who appear to be underage.” The accounts dated back months, as far as December 2023. All 49 of them were taken down after Reuters contacted OnlyFans about its findings. A company spokesperson said OnlyFans reviewed the user names provided by Reuters. “In every case, the Creators’ Government identity documents had been checked and verified by a third party which confirmed the documents are valid, and all individuals are over the age of 18.” The company did not answer a question about why the 49 accounts were removed. OnlyFans also did not respond when asked to identify the “third party” that confirmed the documents. Also read | Germans questions security measures after deadly car attack at Magdeburg Christmas market Reuters could not verify the ages of the females featured in the profiles of the 49 accounts or whether their photos had been digitally altered. OnlyFans’ website says verified creators can post AI-generated content of themselves but must disclose it by, for example, including the hashtag #ai. The 49 accounts identified by Reuters didn’t have that hashtag or language flagging the use of AI. The public details of those accounts often included emojis such as teddy bears, lollipops, or baby bottles. In their non-explicit profile photos, some females wore their hair in pigtails or braids. Others had braces. Many referred to themselves in diminutive terms such as “small,” “tiny,” “petite” or “mini.” Some described themselves as “shy” or “innocent.” One profile description read, “If you came to my page, it means you love little, inexperienced girls like me!” One profile photo was of a female, dressed in a skin-tight, rainbow-colored fishnet top and described on her OnlyFans page as a “petite princess” who “may look innocent” but is looking for a “well experienced man.” “She doesn't even look 15,” said Lori Cohen, CEO of Protect All Children from Trafficking or PACT, a US non-profit dedicated to eradicating child sexual exploitation and trafficking. “It's a very disturbing image,” Cohen said. ‘This isn’t small scale’ Richardson said the 26 accounts he reported suggested possible coordination by content creators. Typically, an OnlyFans creator has a public profile with one or more photos, and subscribers can log in to view explicit content involving that creator. But in the cases examined by Richardson, the creators often posted images advertising multiple other females, some of whom appeared underage, and linked to those females’ OnlyFans accounts, he said. “This isn't small scale. It's not like one or three or four,” said Richardson. “How many really are out there?” In some of the 26 accounts Richardson reported on Dec. 16, the profile photo of the OnlyFans creator featured what looked like an adult female, he said, but the photos posted within the account included those of suspected underage females along with their OnlyFans account names. “Some of them appear to be very young and tiny,” he said. He said some of the content in the 26 accounts could have been “legacy CSAM”: sexually explicit photos taken when the female was a girl but posted when she was 18 or over. These would still violate laws governing child sexual abuse material, three legal experts told Reuters. Richardson has previously conducted research into OnlyFans. In 2022, he and other researchers reported that they found creator profiles with “common indicators” of child sexual abuse material or sex trafficking, including keywords and other language. Shortly after their report was published, one US lawmaker entered it into the Congressional Record, the official chronicle of congressional proceedings. In the 49 public profiles Reuters reviewed, many of the account names included the words – or variations of the words – “little,” “baby,” “sweet” or “Lolita.” Those names, when combined with images of young females, can be used to advertise child sexual abuse material, said the specialists consulted by Reuters. The posts sometimes referred to females in schoolgirl or other child-oriented terms. One, for example, stated: ”The depraved babe @[account name redacted by Reuters] ran away from schоol.” It continued: “Subscribe and punish her!” The account was removed by Dec. 17, the day after Reuters contacted OnlyFans about its findings. Bios or posts in the accounts Reuters identified often included references to females being 18 or having just turned 18. “I've been waiting to turn 18 for a long time so I could register on Onlyfans, and here I am,” read the profile of one female, who Cohen said appeared younger. “There's a fullness to her face that is often associated with youth. She's got disproportionately large eyes, and children tend to have larger eyes on their face relative to adults,” said Cohen. Even if the females actually were 18, child exploitation experts said that’s still a problem because the images themselves suggested they might be underage. “It creates a demand for younger and younger bodies,” said Cohen. “This type of behavior normalizes pedophilia.” Also read | Georgia gay couple gets 100 years in jail for raping adopted sons and filming child pornography It is unlikely that a person could be successfully prosecuted for child sexual abuse material in a scenario where an adult is posing as a minor, because governing statutes generally focus on the participant’s actual age, three legal experts told Reuters. Among the 49 accounts Reuters examined, the creators often used nearly identical language to describe themselves or particular sex acts. “I don’t like parties or noisy clubs, I’m more of a home person, Netflix and chill is my kind of weekend,” one female wrote in her profile. Another used notably similar language: “I'm not a big fan of parties and noisy clubs. I'm more of a homebody, you know? Netflix and chill – that's my idea of a perfect weekend.” As of mid-December, Reuters documented more than 150 instances in which posts from different accounts used identical or nearly identical language. Many of those posts, spread across 25 of the 49 accounts Reuters reviewed, also shared the same combinations of emojis. A half dozen of those posts, all purporting to have been written by different creators, promised for instance that “this beauty will play with her tight holes just for you.” Multiple others promised a “gorgeous doll for your hot desires” or a girl who “is all alone right now and needs some new attention.” Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Multiple OnlyFans accounts with suspected child sexual abuse material: Report

Disclaimer: Some readers may find the story disturbing. Discretion is advised.

An experienced child exploitation investigator told Reuters he reported 26 accounts on the popular adults-only website OnlyFans to authorities, saying they appeared to contain sexual content featuring underage teen girls.

“What is alarming is the scope and scale of it,” said Matt W.J. Richardson, head of intelligence at The Canadian Open Source Intelligence Centre. He noted that many accounts featured more than one female who he suspected was underage.

Within a day of his Dec. 16 report to authorities, all of the accounts had been removed from OnlyFans, said Richardson, whose organization trains law enforcement and government agencies in open source intelligence to help combat crimes such as human trafficking and child exploitation.

Richardson said he reported the 26 accounts as containing suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children, the US-based clearinghouse for CSAM-related tips.

Some of the accounts were linked to each other through promotional posts, suggesting they may have been controlled by the same person or group, Richardson said.

The images in the accounts featured females with physical attributes typical of those under the age of 18, Richardson said. Most had narrow hips and lacked physical maturation, he said. Many had narrow shoulders or appeared to be “well short of five feet tall,” he said.

Sexually explicit images of minors are banned in most countries, including the US, UK, and Canada, and are against OnlyFans rules. On its website, OnlyFans says it prohibits content featuring the exploitation or abuse of anyone under 18, &nbsp;even if it’s adults “pretending to be” under 18.

The National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children (NCMEC) told Reuters it could not comment on reports made to its tip line. Generally, NCMEC said, it tries to confirm whether reported webpages actively host child sexual abuse material or exploitive content. When warranted, it notifies the company hosting the material; it's then up to the company whether to remove or block the content. In addition, all tips are “referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for possible investigation,” NCMEC said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gotta-keep-this-sucker-for-a-little-while-trump-signals-averting-ban-on-tiktok-786087">‘Gotta keep this s**ker for a little while,’ Trump signals averting ban on TikTok</a>

Responding to the findings of this story, an OnlyFans spokesperson said the company has a “zero tolerance approach” to child sexual abuse material on the platform and has “strict onboarding processes to ensure all creators are over the age of 18.” OnlyFans works closely with NCMEC to “thoroughly investigate any reports they receive from others about our platform,” the spokesperson said.

She did not respond to a question about why the 26 accounts were taken down only after Richardson reported them.

OnlyFans has said it vets all content and swiftly removes and reports any suspected child sexual abuse material when detected. The company has a “pre-check team” that uses technology to detect content that’s “extremely likely to be a child,” CEO Keily Blair said in a speech in August. OnlyFans invests heavily in content moderation, Blair has said, which allows it to “focus on keeping the community safe and keeping the community for adults only.” OnlyFans also says all content is ultimately reviewed by human moderators.

The spokesperson noted that OnlyFans itself made 347 reports to NCMEC in 2023, “vastly fewer than the millions of instances that are reported by other social media platforms where users can remain anonymous and where content is unmoderated.”

OnlyFans’ 4.1 million content creators typically sell explicit images and videos for a monthly subscription fee, plus one-off payments. The company keeps a fifth of the revenue. The subscriptions effectively place paywalls around nearly every OnlyFans account, making the site difficult to scrutinize.

In a July investigation, Reuters used US police and court records to document 30 complaints to law enforcement that child sexual abuse material appeared on OnlyFans between Dec. 2019 and June 2024. The case files examined by Reuters cited more than 200 explicit videos and images of kids, including some adults having oral sex with toddlers.

OnlyFans told Reuters at that time that NCMEC has “full access” to the site behind its paywalls. But NCMEC said access was “limited” to OnlyFans accounts reported to its tip line or connected to a missing child case. Aside from that, NCMEC said it “does not proactively monitor, moderate, or actively seek to review content at scale” behind the paywall of OnlyFans.

<h2>Emojis of lollipops &amp; baby bottles</h2>

In recent months, Reuters separately examined non-explicit public profile photos, bios and posts of OnlyFans creators who shared near-identical promotional language in their posts. Access to the material was open to the public without a paid OnlyFans subscription.

Female creators in 49 of those accounts had non-explicit profile photos that appeared childlike, according to three people with professional experience identifying child exploitation, including Richardson. Richardson said the 26 cases he reported to NCMEC overlapped with four of those Reuters identified.

Eric Silverman, a researcher for Culture Reframed, an organization focused on raising awareness about the harms of pornography to youth, said the 49 profile photos raised serious concern.

“Their appearance, wide-eyed, innocent look, the pouting, the finger in the mouth, all these are visual cues that convey childhood,” he said. “Even if every single one of them is verifiably 18 or older, you still have to confront the issue that OnlyFans is profiting from the sexual portrayal of women who appear to be underage.”

The accounts dated back months, as far as December 2023. All 49 of them were taken down after Reuters contacted OnlyFans about its findings.

A company spokesperson said OnlyFans reviewed the user names provided by Reuters. “In every case, the Creators’ Government identity documents had been checked and verified by a third party which confirmed the documents are valid, and all individuals are over the age of 18.”

The company did not answer a question about why the 49 accounts were removed. OnlyFans also did not respond when asked to identify the “third party” that confirmed the documents.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-questions-security-measures-after-deadly-car-attack-at-magdeburg-christmas-market-786251">Germans questions security measures after deadly car attack at Magdeburg Christmas market</a>

Reuters could not verify the ages of the females featured in the profiles of the 49 accounts or whether their photos had been digitally altered. OnlyFans’ website says verified creators can post AI-generated content of themselves but must disclose it by, for example, including the hashtag #ai. The 49 accounts identified by Reuters didn’t have that hashtag or language flagging the use of AI.

The public details of those accounts often included emojis such as teddy bears, lollipops, or baby bottles. In their non-explicit profile photos, some females wore their hair in pigtails or braids. Others had braces. Many referred to themselves in diminutive terms such as “small,” “tiny,” “petite” or “mini.”

Some described themselves as “shy” or “innocent.” One profile description read, “If you came to my page, it means you love little, inexperienced girls like me!”

One profile photo was of a female, dressed in a skin-tight, rainbow-colored fishnet top and described on her OnlyFans page as a “petite princess” who “may look innocent​​” but is looking for a “well experienced man.”

“She doesn't even look 15,” said Lori Cohen, CEO of Protect All Children from Trafficking or PACT, a US non-profit dedicated to eradicating child sexual exploitation and trafficking.

“It's a very disturbing image,” Cohen said.

<h2>‘This isn’t small scale’</h2>

Richardson said the 26 accounts he reported suggested possible coordination by content creators.

Typically, an OnlyFans creator has a public profile with one or more photos, and subscribers can log in to view explicit content involving that creator. But in the cases examined by Richardson, the creators often posted images advertising multiple other females, some of whom appeared underage, and linked to those females’ OnlyFans accounts, he said.

“This isn't small scale. It's not like one or three or four,” said Richardson. “How many really are out there?”

In some of the 26 accounts Richardson reported on Dec. 16, the profile photo of the OnlyFans creator featured what looked like an adult female, he said, but the photos posted within the account included those of suspected underage females along with their OnlyFans account names.

“Some of them appear to be very young and tiny,” he said.

He said some of the content in the 26 accounts could have been “legacy CSAM”: sexually explicit photos taken when the female was a girl but posted when she was 18 or over. These would still violate laws governing child sexual abuse material, three legal experts told Reuters.

Richardson has previously conducted research into OnlyFans. In 2022, he and other researchers reported that they found creator profiles with “common indicators” of child sexual abuse material or sex trafficking, including keywords and other language. Shortly after their report was published, one US lawmaker entered it into the Congressional Record, the official chronicle of congressional proceedings.

In the 49 public profiles Reuters reviewed, many of the account names included the words – or variations of the words – “little,” “baby,” “sweet” or “Lolita.” Those names, when combined with images of young females, can be used to advertise child sexual abuse material, said the specialists consulted by Reuters.

The posts sometimes referred to females in schoolgirl or other child-oriented terms. One, for example, stated: ”The depraved babe @[account name redacted by Reuters] ran away from schоol.” It continued: “Subscribe and punish her!” The account was removed by Dec. 17, the day after Reuters contacted OnlyFans about its findings.

Bios or posts in the accounts Reuters identified often included references to females being 18 or having just turned 18. “I've been waiting to turn 18 for a long time so I could register on Onlyfans, and here I am,” read the profile of one female, who Cohen said appeared younger.

“There's a fullness to her face that is often associated with youth. She's got disproportionately large eyes, and children tend to have larger eyes on their face relative to adults,” said Cohen.

Even if the females actually were 18, child exploitation experts said that’s still a problem because the images themselves suggested they might be underage. “It creates a demand for younger and younger bodies,” said Cohen. “This type of behavior normalizes pedophilia.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgia-gay-couple-gets-100-years-in-jail-for-raping-adopted-sons-and-filming-child-pornography-786444">Georgia gay couple gets 100 years in jail for raping adopted sons and filming child pornography</a>

It is unlikely that a person could be successfully prosecuted for child sexual abuse material in a scenario where an adult is posing as a minor, because governing statutes generally focus on the participant’s actual age, three legal experts told Reuters.

Among &nbsp;the 49 accounts Reuters examined, the creators often used nearly identical language to describe themselves or particular sex acts.

“I don’t like parties or noisy clubs, I’m more of a home person, Netflix and chill is my kind of weekend,” one female wrote in her profile. Another used notably similar language: “I'm not a big fan of parties and noisy clubs. I'm more of a homebody, you know? Netflix and chill – that's my idea of a perfect weekend.”

As of mid-December, Reuters documented more than 150 instances in which posts from different accounts used identical or nearly identical language. Many of those posts, spread across 25 of the 49 accounts Reuters reviewed, also shared the same combinations of emojis.

A half dozen of those posts, all purporting to have been written by different creators, promised for instance that “this beauty will play with her tight holes just for you.”

Multiple others promised a “gorgeous doll for your hot desires” or a girl who “is all alone right now and needs some new attention.”

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Disclaimer: Some readers may find the story disturbing. Discretion is advised. An experienced child exploitation investigator told Reuters he reported 26 accounts on the popular adults-only website OnlyFans to authorities, saying they appeared to contain sexual content featuring underage teen girls.

Disclaimer: Some readers may find the story disturbing. Discretion is advised. An experienced child exploitation investigator told Reuters he reported 26 accounts on the popular adults-only website OnlyFans to authorities, saying they appeared to contain sexual content featuring underage teen girls. “What is alarming is the scope and scale of it,” said Matt W.J. Richardson, head of intelligence at The Canadian Open Source Intelligence Centre. He noted that many accounts featured more than one female who he suspected was underage. Within a day of his Dec. 16 report to authorities, all of the accounts had been removed from OnlyFans, said Richardson, whose organization trains law enforcement and government agencies in open source intelligence to help combat crimes such as human trafficking and child exploitation. Richardson said he reported the 26 accounts as containing suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the US-based clearinghouse for CSAM-related tips. Some of the accounts were linked to each other through promotional posts, suggesting they may have been controlled by the same person or group, Richardson said. The images in the accounts featured females with physical attributes typical of those under the age of 18, Richardson said. Most had narrow hips and lacked physical maturation, he said. Many had narrow shoulders or appeared to be “well short of five feet tall,” he said. Sexually explicit images of minors are banned in most countries, including the US, UK, and Canada, and are against OnlyFans rules. On its website, OnlyFans says it prohibits content featuring the exploitation or abuse of anyone under 18, even if it’s adults “pretending to be” under 18. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) told Reuters it could not comment on reports made to its tip line. Generally, NCMEC said, it tries to confirm whether reported webpages actively host child sexual abuse material or exploitive content. When warranted, it notifies the company hosting the material; it's then up to the company whether to remove or block the content. In addition, all tips are “referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for possible investigation,” NCMEC said. Also read | ‘Gotta keep this s**ker for a little while,’ Trump signals averting ban on TikTok Responding to the findings of this story, an OnlyFans spokesperson said the company has a “zero tolerance approach” to child sexual abuse material on the platform and has “strict onboarding processes to ensure all creators are over the age of 18.” OnlyFans works closely with NCMEC to “thoroughly investigate any reports they receive from others about our platform,” the spokesperson said. She did not respond to a question about why the 26 accounts were taken down only after Richardson reported them. OnlyFans has said it vets all content and swiftly removes and reports any suspected child sexual abuse material when detected. The company has a “pre-check team” that uses technology to detect content that’s “extremely likely to be a child,” CEO Keily Blair said in a speech in August. OnlyFans invests heavily in content moderation, Blair has said, which allows it to “focus on keeping the community safe and keeping the community for adults only.” OnlyFans also says all content is ultimately reviewed by human moderators. The spokesperson noted that OnlyFans itself made 347 reports to NCMEC in 2023, “vastly fewer than the millions of instances that are reported by other social media platforms where users can remain anonymous and where content is unmoderated.” OnlyFans’ 4.1 million content creators typically sell explicit images and videos for a monthly subscription fee, plus one-off payments. The company keeps a fifth of the revenue. The subscriptions effectively place paywalls around nearly every OnlyFans account, making the site difficult to scrutinize. In a July investigation, Reuters used US police and court records to document 30 complaints to law enforcement that child sexual abuse material appeared on OnlyFans between Dec. 2019 and June 2024. The case files examined by Reuters cited more than 200 explicit videos and images of kids, including some adults having oral sex with toddlers. OnlyFans told Reuters at that time that NCMEC has “full access” to the site behind its paywalls. But NCMEC said access was “limited” to OnlyFans accounts reported to its tip line or connected to a missing child case. Aside from that, NCMEC said it “does not proactively monitor, moderate, or actively seek to review content at scale” behind the paywall of OnlyFans. Emojis of lollipops & baby bottles In recent months, Reuters separately examined non-explicit public profile photos, bios and posts of OnlyFans creators who shared near-identical promotional language in their posts. Access to the material was open to the public without a paid OnlyFans subscription. Female creators in 49 of those accounts had non-explicit profile photos that appeared childlike, according to three people with professional experience identifying child exploitation, including Richardson. Richardson said the 26 cases he reported to NCMEC overlapped with four of those Reuters identified. Eric Silverman, a researcher for Culture Reframed, an organization focused on raising awareness about the harms of pornography to youth, said the 49 profile photos raised serious concern. “Their appearance, wide-eyed, innocent look, the pouting, the finger in the mouth, all these are visual cues that convey childhood,” he said. “Even if every single one of them is verifiably 18 or older, you still have to confront the issue that OnlyFans is profiting from the sexual portrayal of women who appear to be underage.” The accounts dated back months, as far as December 2023. All 49 of them were taken down after Reuters contacted OnlyFans about its findings. A company spokesperson said OnlyFans reviewed the user names provided by Reuters. “In every case, the Creators’ Government identity documents had been checked and verified by a third party which confirmed the documents are valid, and all individuals are over the age of 18.” The company did not answer a question about why the 49 accounts were removed. OnlyFans also did not respond when asked to identify the “third party” that confirmed the documents. Also read | Germans questions security measures after deadly car attack at Magdeburg Christmas market Reuters could not verify the ages of the females featured in the profiles of the 49 accounts or whether their photos had been digitally altered. OnlyFans’ website says verified creators can post AI-generated content of themselves but must disclose it by, for example, including the hashtag #ai. The 49 accounts identified by Reuters didn’t have that hashtag or language flagging the use of AI. The public details of those accounts often included emojis such as teddy bears, lollipops, or baby bottles. In their non-explicit profile photos, some females wore their hair in pigtails or braids. Others had braces. Many referred to themselves in diminutive terms such as “small,” “tiny,” “petite” or “mini.” Some described themselves as “shy” or “innocent.” One profile description read, “If you came to my page, it means you love little, inexperienced girls like me!” One profile photo was of a female, dressed in a skin-tight, rainbow-colored fishnet top and described on her OnlyFans page as a “petite princess” who “may look innocent” but is looking for a “well experienced man.” “She doesn't even look 15,” said Lori Cohen, CEO of Protect All Children from Trafficking or PACT, a US non-profit dedicated to eradicating child sexual exploitation and trafficking. “It's a very disturbing image,” Cohen said. ‘This isn’t small scale’ Richardson said the 26 accounts he reported suggested possible coordination by content creators. Typically, an OnlyFans creator has a public profile with one or more photos, and subscribers can log in to view explicit content involving that creator. But in the cases examined by Richardson, the creators often posted images advertising multiple other females, some of whom appeared underage, and linked to those females’ OnlyFans accounts, he said. “This isn't small scale. It's not like one or three or four,” said Richardson. “How many really are out there?” In some of the 26 accounts Richardson reported on Dec. 16, the profile photo of the OnlyFans creator featured what looked like an adult female, he said, but the photos posted within the account included those of suspected underage females along with their OnlyFans account names. “Some of them appear to be very young and tiny,” he said. He said some of the content in the 26 accounts could have been “legacy CSAM”: sexually explicit photos taken when the female was a girl but posted when she was 18 or over. These would still violate laws governing child sexual abuse material, three legal experts told Reuters. Richardson has previously conducted research into OnlyFans. In 2022, he and other researchers reported that they found creator profiles with “common indicators” of child sexual abuse material or sex trafficking, including keywords and other language. Shortly after their report was published, one US lawmaker entered it into the Congressional Record, the official chronicle of congressional proceedings. In the 49 public profiles Reuters reviewed, many of the account names included the words – or variations of the words – “little,” “baby,” “sweet” or “Lolita.” Those names, when combined with images of young females, can be used to advertise child sexual abuse material, said the specialists consulted by Reuters. The posts sometimes referred to females in schoolgirl or other child-oriented terms. One, for example, stated: ”The depraved babe @[account name redacted by Reuters] ran away from schоol.” It continued: “Subscribe and punish her!” The account was removed by Dec. 17, the day after Reuters contacted OnlyFans about its findings. Bios or posts in the accounts Reuters identified often included references to females being 18 or having just turned 18. “I've been waiting to turn 18 for a long time so I could register on Onlyfans, and here I am,” read the profile of one female, who Cohen said appeared younger. “There's a fullness to her face that is often associated with youth. She's got disproportionately large eyes, and children tend to have larger eyes on their face relative to adults,” said Cohen. Even if the females actually were 18, child exploitation experts said that’s still a problem because the images themselves suggested they might be underage. “It creates a demand for younger and younger bodies,” said Cohen. “This type of behavior normalizes pedophilia.” Also read | Georgia gay couple gets 100 years in jail for raping adopted sons and filming child pornography It is unlikely that a person could be successfully prosecuted for child sexual abuse material in a scenario where an adult is posing as a minor, because governing statutes generally focus on the participant’s actual age, three legal experts told Reuters. Among the 49 accounts Reuters examined, the creators often used nearly identical language to describe themselves or particular sex acts. “I don’t like parties or noisy clubs, I’m more of a home person, Netflix and chill is my kind of weekend,” one female wrote in her profile. Another used notably similar language: “I'm not a big fan of parties and noisy clubs. I'm more of a homebody, you know? Netflix and chill – that's my idea of a perfect weekend.” As of mid-December, Reuters documented more than 150 instances in which posts from different accounts used identical or nearly identical language. Many of those posts, spread across 25 of the 49 accounts Reuters reviewed, also shared the same combinations of emojis. A half dozen of those posts, all purporting to have been written by different creators, promised for instance that “this beauty will play with her tight holes just for you.” Multiple others promised a “gorgeous doll for your hot desires” or a girl who “is all alone right now and needs some new attention.” Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to 1,353 people who alleged that they were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests, in the largest settlement by a US&nbsp;diocese over decades-old abuse claims.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez expressed sorrow for the abuse in announcing the settlement on Wednesday.

"I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart,"&nbsp;Gomez said in a statement. "My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered."

The Archdiocese began mediating the abuse claims after California enacted a law that allowed new lawsuits to be based on past instances of sexual abuse involving minors.

The California law and similar laws in other states have driven many large Catholic organisations to seek bankruptcy protection around the US.&nbsp;In California, the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the dioceses of Oakland and San Diego have filed for bankruptcy to resolve similar abuse claims.

The Los Angeles Archdiocese reached its settlement without filing for bankruptcy. Gomez said the Archdiocese would be able to pay victims from cash reserves, investments, loans, and contributions from other religious organisations that had been named in lawsuits. The payments will not impact the Archdiocese’s mission of "serving the poor and vulnerable in our communities," Gomez said.

Attorneys for the Archdiocese and the Plaintiffs’ Liaison Counsel representing abuse claimants issued a joint statement on Wednesday thanking survivors for coming forward with their stories and ensuring that similar abuse will not occur in the future.

"While there is no amount of money that can replace what was taken from these 1,353 brave individuals who have suffered in silence for decades, there is justice in accountability," the Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel said in a joint statement.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience. 
&nbsp;

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to 1,353 people who alleged that they were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests, in the largest settlement by a US diocese over decades-old abuse claims.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to 1,353 people who alleged that they were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests, in the largest settlement by a US diocese over decades-old abuse claims. Archbishop Jose H. Gomez expressed sorrow for the abuse in announcing the settlement on Wednesday. "I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart," Gomez said in a statement. "My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered." The Archdiocese began mediating the abuse claims after California enacted a law that allowed new lawsuits to be based on past instances of sexual abuse involving minors. The California law and similar laws in other states have driven many large Catholic organisations to seek bankruptcy protection around the US. In California, the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the dioceses of Oakland and San Diego have filed for bankruptcy to resolve similar abuse claims. The Los Angeles Archdiocese reached its settlement without filing for bankruptcy. Gomez said the Archdiocese would be able to pay victims from cash reserves, investments, loans, and contributions from other religious organisations that had been named in lawsuits. The payments will not impact the Archdiocese’s mission of "serving the poor and vulnerable in our communities," Gomez said. Attorneys for the Archdiocese and the Plaintiffs’ Liaison Counsel representing abuse claimants issued a joint statement on Wednesday thanking survivors for coming forward with their stories and ensuring that similar abuse will not occur in the future. "While there is no amount of money that can replace what was taken from these 1,353 brave individuals who have suffered in silence for decades, there is justice in accountability," the Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel said in a joint statement. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Los Angeles archdiocese to pay $880 million to over 1,300 clergy abuse survivors

A diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in New York has agreed to pay $323 million to 530 child sexual abuse survivors in a move that will result in the largest bankruptcy of a US diocese.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre in Long Island, New York told a bankruptcy hearing on Thursday (Sep 26) that the settlement will cover the liabilities of all the parishes under it.

Watch: Pope Francis meets survivors of sexual abuse by church clergy

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The diocese has 1.2 million members in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

A diocese consists of a large area of the Catholic Church under a single Bishop. A parish is an individual Catholic community with its own church.

Under the settlement, each of the 135 parishes in the diocese will have to file their own bankruptcy suits. This would provide the parishes with legal protections in exchange for subjecting their assets and liabilities to court oversight, the diocese’s attorney Corinne Ball said in court.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/16-nuns-denounce-pope-francis-break-from-catholic-church-under-excommunicated-bishop-724730">Also read: 16 nuns denounce Pope Francis, break from Catholic Church under excommunicated Bishop</a>

The settlement comes in the wake of four years of tough negotiations in the wake of hundreds of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by priests.

Martin Glenn, the bankruptcy judge hearing the case called the deal “enormous progress”.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier, the survivors had rejected the diocese’s $200mn settlement offer.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/german-catholic-church-lost-half-a-million-members-in-one-year-heres-why-610530">Also read: German Catholic church loses half a million members in one year. Here's why</a> 
 
As per the new agreement, Rockville Centre will fork out $234.8mn to a settlement fund, with four insurers contributing $85.3mn, Reuters news agency reported.&nbsp;

The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2020, burdened by the mounting legal costs caused by the child abuse lawsuits.

At least 24 dioceses in the US filed for bankruptcy in recent years when a statute of limitations was lifted, allowing child sex abuse survivors to sue over decades-old abuse.

The Rockville case could become the template for several other dioceses facing similar bankruptcies over other child sex abuse cases involving the Catholic Church.

The archdiocese of New Orleans recently proposed that it and its affiliates settle the bankruptcy it filed in May 2020 for just $62.5mn, Reuters said in the report.

(With inputs from agencies)

A diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in New York has agreed to pay $323 million to 530 child sexual abuse survivors in a move that will result in the largest bankruptcy of a US diocese.

A diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in New York has agreed to pay $323 million to 530 child sexual abuse survivors in a move that will result in the largest bankruptcy of a US diocese. The Diocese of Rockville Centre in Long Island, New York told a bankruptcy hearing on Thursday (Sep 26) that the settlement will cover the liabilities of all the parishes under it. Watch: Pope Francis meets survivors of sexual abuse by church clergy × The diocese has 1.2 million members in Nassau and Suffolk counties. A diocese consists of a large area of the Catholic Church under a single Bishop. A parish is an individual Catholic community with its own church. Under the settlement, each of the 135 parishes in the diocese will have to file their own bankruptcy suits. This would provide the parishes with legal protections in exchange for subjecting their assets and liabilities to court oversight, the diocese’s attorney Corinne Ball said in court. Also read: 16 nuns denounce Pope Francis, break from Catholic Church under excommunicated Bishop The settlement comes in the wake of four years of tough negotiations in the wake of hundreds of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by priests. Martin Glenn, the bankruptcy judge hearing the case called the deal “enormous progress”. Earlier, the survivors had rejected the diocese’s $200mn settlement offer. Also read: German Catholic church loses half a million members in one year. Here's why As per the new agreement, Rockville Centre will fork out $234.8mn to a settlement fund, with four insurers contributing $85.3mn, Reuters news agency reported. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2020, burdened by the mounting legal costs caused by the child abuse lawsuits. At least 24 dioceses in the US filed for bankruptcy in recent years when a statute of limitations was lifted, allowing child sex abuse survivors to sue over decades-old abuse. The Rockville case could become the template for several other dioceses facing similar bankruptcies over other child sex abuse cases involving the Catholic Church. The archdiocese of New Orleans recently proposed that it and its affiliates settle the bankruptcy it filed in May 2020 for just $62.5mn, Reuters said in the report. (With inputs from agencies)

New York Catholic diocese to pay $323mn to 530 child sex abuse survivors, in largest US diocese bankruptcy

Hungary's President Katalin Novak announced her resignation on Saturday (Feb 10) following intense public backlash over her decision to pardon a man convicted as an accomplice in covering up a sex abuse case at a children's home.

Addressing the nation in a televised speech, Novak said, "I made a mistake... Today is the last day that I address you as president."&nbsp;

She admitted to granting a pardon in April, believing the convicted individual did not exploit the vulnerability of the children under his care. She, however, recognised the lack of reasoning behind the decision, and acknowledged doubts raised about the country's zero-tolerance stance on paedophilia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-launches-legal-action-against-hungarys-controversial-sovereignty-law-687896">EU launches legal action against Hungary’s controversial ‘sovereignty law’</a>

Earlier, protests had erupted in the capital Budapest, with scores of people demanding Novak's resignation.&nbsp;

Opposition parties had also called for her departure from office.&nbsp;

The controversy arose when Novak pardoned several individuals, including the deputy director of a children's home, just before a visit by Pope Francis in April 2023.

One of the pardoned individuals, Endre K, had been sentenced in 2022 to three years and four months in prison. Novak's pardon allowed him to be set free.

<h2>Who is Katalin Novak?</h2>

Novak, an ally and former family minister of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, was Hungary's first female president and the youngest person to hold the office. Her resignation marked a rare moment of political turmoil for Orban's nationalist governing party, Fidesz, which has maintained a constitutional majority since 2010.

Also watch |&nbsp;Hungary PM Viktor Orban opposes billion dollar aid for Kyiv | WION

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Judit Varga, another key Fidesz figure implicated in the pardon as Hungary's former minister of justice, announced her resignation from public life in a Facebook post.

Varga, expected to lead Fidesz's list of European Parliament candidates, took political responsibility for endorsing the controversial pardon.

Prime Minister Orban, while not directly addressing the Novak controversy, announced a constitutional amendment to prevent convicted child abusers from receiving clemency. In a Facebook video, he said that there will be "no mercy for paedophile offenders". 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Hungary's President Katalin Novak announced her resignation on Saturday (Feb 10) following intense public backlash over her decision to pardon a man convicted as an accomplice in covering up a sex abuse case at a children's home.

Hungary's President Katalin Novak announced her resignation on Saturday (Feb 10) following intense public backlash over her decision to pardon a man convicted as an accomplice in covering up a sex abuse case at a children's home. Addressing the nation in a televised speech, Novak said, "I made a mistake... Today is the last day that I address you as president." She admitted to granting a pardon in April, believing the convicted individual did not exploit the vulnerability of the children under his care. She, however, recognised the lack of reasoning behind the decision, and acknowledged doubts raised about the country's zero-tolerance stance on paedophilia. Also read | EU launches legal action against Hungary’s controversial ‘sovereignty law’ Earlier, protests had erupted in the capital Budapest, with scores of people demanding Novak's resignation. Opposition parties had also called for her departure from office. The controversy arose when Novak pardoned several individuals, including the deputy director of a children's home, just before a visit by Pope Francis in April 2023. One of the pardoned individuals, Endre K, had been sentenced in 2022 to three years and four months in prison. Novak's pardon allowed him to be set free. Who is Katalin Novak? Novak, an ally and former family minister of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, was Hungary's first female president and the youngest person to hold the office. Her resignation marked a rare moment of political turmoil for Orban's nationalist governing party, Fidesz, which has maintained a constitutional majority since 2010. Also watch | Hungary PM Viktor Orban opposes billion dollar aid for Kyiv | WION × Judit Varga, another key Fidesz figure implicated in the pardon as Hungary's former minister of justice, announced her resignation from public life in a Facebook post. Varga, expected to lead Fidesz's list of European Parliament candidates, took political responsibility for endorsing the controversial pardon. Prime Minister Orban, while not directly addressing the Novak controversy, announced a constitutional amendment to prevent convicted child abusers from receiving clemency. In a Facebook video, he said that there will be "no mercy for paedophile offenders". (With inputs from agencies)

Hungary’s President Katalin Novak resigns after row over pardoning of paedophile

Nearly one in 10 Australian men have committed a sexual offence against children under the age of 18, finds a study led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney. The findings of the research, which is said to be the largest study of its kind ever undertaken globally, were released on Monday (Nov 20).&nbsp;

<h2>‘Deeply concerning’</h2>

The study titled ‘Identifying and understanding child sexual offending behaviour and attitudes among Australian men’ was conducted by UNSW Sydney and Jesuit Social Services and aimed to research the “prevalence of child sexual offending behaviours and attitudes”.&nbsp;

“The first nationally representative research…has shed unprecedented light on sexually abusive behaviours and feelings among Australian men,” said a statement released by the UNSW.&nbsp;

The study surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,945 Australian men aged 18 to over 65 and found that one in 10 or 9.4 per cent said they had sexual contact with someone under the age of 18.

This would be around one million men in Australia out of which nearly half of them (4.9 per cent) reported having sexual feelings towards children. The figures also include online offences as 4.3 per cent of Australian men reported having had online sexual conversations with children and 2.5 per cent deliberately watched pornographic material containing people below the age of 18.&nbsp;

According to the study, 4.9 per cent of men with sexual feelings that have committed a sexual offence against children were more likely to be married, working with children, earning higher incomes; report anxiety, depression, and binge drinking behaviours; and have been sexually abused or had adverse experiences in childhood.&nbsp;

These men are also found to be active online, including on social media, encrypted apps and cryptocurrency and consume pornography that involves violence or bestiality, the report added.&nbsp;

At least 3.2 per cent of Australian men said they had had sexual contact with a person below the age of 18 when they were over 18. However, the study also noted that this aspect proved to be a limitation since the age of consent in Australia varies and can be 16 or 17 depending on the state.&nbsp;

According to the study, one in six (15.1 per cent) Australian men reported having sexual feelings towards children.

The UNSW-led study found two distinct groups of child sex offenders - “One which is motivated by sexual interest in children, and a second group who may be offending for situational or opportunistic reasons,” the research found.&nbsp;

<h2>Invest in prevention</h2>

“The prevalence of abuse revealed in this report is deeply concerning,” Georgia Naldrett, Manager of Jesuit Social Services’ Stop it Now! Australia service said&nbsp;in a statement.&nbsp;

The study recommends measures like improving community understanding of the harm of child sexual abuse and challenging attitudes that support it.&nbsp;

It also calls for better online safety measures and safeguarding children where they may be “deemed particularly risky, including schools, day-care, social groups, clubs and any other activity in which children are present.”

They also recommend early intervention for men with sexual feelings towards children who have not committed an offence yet. The study found that out of the men who have sexual feelings, 29.6 per cent want help for their sexual feelings towards children.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Nearly one in 10 Australian men have committed a sexual offence against children under the age of 18, finds a study led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney.

Nearly one in 10 Australian men have committed a sexual offence against children under the age of 18, finds a study led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney. The findings of the research, which is said to be the largest study of its kind ever undertaken globally, were released on Monday (Nov 20). ‘Deeply concerning’ The study titled ‘Identifying and understanding child sexual offending behaviour and attitudes among Australian men’ was conducted by UNSW Sydney and Jesuit Social Services and aimed to research the “prevalence of child sexual offending behaviours and attitudes”. “The first nationally representative research…has shed unprecedented light on sexually abusive behaviours and feelings among Australian men,” said a statement released by the UNSW. The study surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,945 Australian men aged 18 to over 65 and found that one in 10 or 9.4 per cent said they had sexual contact with someone under the age of 18. This would be around one million men in Australia out of which nearly half of them (4.9 per cent) reported having sexual feelings towards children. The figures also include online offences as 4.3 per cent of Australian men reported having had online sexual conversations with children and 2.5 per cent deliberately watched pornographic material containing people below the age of 18. According to the study, 4.9 per cent of men with sexual feelings that have committed a sexual offence against children were more likely to be married, working with children, earning higher incomes; report anxiety, depression, and binge drinking behaviours; and have been sexually abused or had adverse experiences in childhood. These men are also found to be active online, including on social media, encrypted apps and cryptocurrency and consume pornography that involves violence or bestiality, the report added. At least 3.2 per cent of Australian men said they had had sexual contact with a person below the age of 18 when they were over 18. However, the study also noted that this aspect proved to be a limitation since the age of consent in Australia varies and can be 16 or 17 depending on the state. According to the study, one in six (15.1 per cent) Australian men reported having sexual feelings towards children. The UNSW-led study found two distinct groups of child sex offenders - “One which is motivated by sexual interest in children, and a second group who may be offending for situational or opportunistic reasons,” the research found. Invest in prevention “The prevalence of abuse revealed in this report is deeply concerning,” Georgia Naldrett, Manager of Jesuit Social Services’ Stop it Now! Australia service said in a statement. The study recommends measures like improving community understanding of the harm of child sexual abuse and challenging attitudes that support it. It also calls for better online safety measures and safeguarding children where they may be “deemed particularly risky, including schools, day-care, social groups, clubs and any other activity in which children are present.” They also recommend early intervention for men with sexual feelings towards children who have not committed an offence yet. The study found that out of the men who have sexual feelings, 29.6 per cent want help for their sexual feelings towards children. (With inputs from agencies)

Australia: One in 10 men have committed a sexual offence against children, finds study

France's Catholic Church has raised over $22 million as compensation for victims of child sexual abuse by clergy.

The&nbsp;dioceses&nbsp;had been facing intense pressure for turning a blind eye to the ''scourge'' for too long.

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A major investigation had revealed that French clergy sexually abused more than 200,000 children over the past 70 years.

The church had shown "deep, total and even cruel indifference for years," protecting itself rather than the victims of what was systemic abuse, said Jean-Marc Sauve, head of the commission that compiled the report.

An initial five million euros will be set aside for compensation claims being studied by an independent panel set up in the wake of the damning abuse report.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-the-vatican-protected-priests-involved-in-child-sex-abuse-342467">Also read |&nbsp;How the Vatican protected priests involved in child sex abuse</a>

Gilles Vermot-Desroches, the president of the Selam fund, said ''It's a first step. The Church has followed through on its commitment.''

The head of the French conference of bishops, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, said the church was shamed. Calling the report a "bombshell", he asked for forgiveness and promised to act.

The head of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF) has said the Church will sell off real estate and tap its financial holdings, and possibly take out bank loans to raise the money.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/breach-of-privacy-uk-church-leaders-protest-against-vaccine-passport-378460">Also read |&nbsp;Breach of privacy: UK church leaders protest against vaccine passport</a>

Critics accuse Francis of responding too slowly to the sex abuse scandals, of failing to empathise with victims and of blindly believing the word of his fellow clergy.

The revelations, which showed the problem in France was more widespread than previously thought, were the latest to rock the Roman Catholic Church, after a series of sexual abuse scandals around the world, often involving children.

The French findings came a year after Britain said the Catholic Church had received more than 900 complaints involving over 3,000 instances of child sex abuse in England and Wales between 1970 and 2015, and that there had been more than 100 reported allegations a year since 2016.

(With inputs from agencies)

France's Catholic Church has raised over $22 million as compensation for victims of child sexual abuse by clergy. The dioceses had been facing intense pressure for turning a blind eye to the ''scourge'' for too long.

France's Catholic Church has raised over $22 million as compensation for victims of child sexual abuse by clergy. The dioceses had been facing intense pressure for turning a blind eye to the ''scourge'' for too long. A major investigation had revealed that French clergy sexually abused more than 200,000 children over the past 70 years. The church had shown "deep, total and even cruel indifference for years," protecting itself rather than the victims of what was systemic abuse, said Jean-Marc Sauve, head of the commission that compiled the report. An initial five million euros will be set aside for compensation claims being studied by an independent panel set up in the wake of the damning abuse report. Also read | How the Vatican protected priests involved in child sex abuse Gilles Vermot-Desroches, the president of the Selam fund, said ''It's a first step. The Church has followed through on its commitment.'' The head of the French conference of bishops, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, said the church was shamed. Calling the report a "bombshell", he asked for forgiveness and promised to act. The head of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF) has said the Church will sell off real estate and tap its financial holdings, and possibly take out bank loans to raise the money. Also read | Breach of privacy: UK church leaders protest against vaccine passport Critics accuse Francis of responding too slowly to the sex abuse scandals, of failing to empathise with victims and of blindly believing the word of his fellow clergy. The revelations, which showed the problem in France was more widespread than previously thought, were the latest to rock the Roman Catholic Church, after a series of sexual abuse scandals around the world, often involving children. The French findings came a year after Britain said the Catholic Church had received more than 900 complaints involving over 3,000 instances of child sex abuse in England and Wales between 1970 and 2015, and that there had been more than 100 reported allegations a year since 2016. (With inputs from agencies)

France: After facing intense pressure, Catholic Church raises over $22 million for sex abuse victims

French bishops declared on Friday that the French Catholic Church holds "institutional responsibility" for the hundreds of child abuse incidents revealed in a document issued in October.

According to Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, leader of the country's Bishops Conference, the church permitted the abuse to become "systematic."

"This accountability entails a responsibility to deliver justice and compensation," said Moulins-Beaufort. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-inquiry-reveals-216000-cases-of-paedophilia-by-catholic-priests-since-1950-418328">Also read | France: Inquiry reveals 216,000 cases of paedophilia by Catholic priests since 1950</a>

Following a vote by the bishops, he made the remarks during the conference's annual assembly.&nbsp;

What was the content of the report?

An independent panel released conclusions on child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in France between 1950 and 2020 on October 5.

Over the course of seven decades, the 2,500-page dossier describes how an estimated 3,000 child abusers, two-thirds of whom were priests, worked in the Catholic Church in France.

An estimated 216,000 people were abused in this way.

The "overwhelming majority" of victims, according to the study, were young males from various social origins.

It called the abuse a "massive phenomena" that had been hidden under a "veil of silence" for decades.

Victims of abuse boycott meeting

The gathering was open to victims of abuse, but many declined.

Some people were dissatisfied that the sexual abuse crisis was only one of numerous items on the church's agenda, rather than the sole issue.

(With inputs from agencies)

French bishops declared on Friday that the French Catholic Church holds "institutional responsibility" for the hundreds of child abuse incidents revealed in a document issued in October.

French bishops declared on Friday that the French Catholic Church holds "institutional responsibility" for the hundreds of child abuse incidents revealed in a document issued in October. According to Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, leader of the country's Bishops Conference, the church permitted the abuse to become "systematic." "This accountability entails a responsibility to deliver justice and compensation," said Moulins-Beaufort. Also read | France: Inquiry reveals 216,000 cases of paedophilia by Catholic priests since 1950 Following a vote by the bishops, he made the remarks during the conference's annual assembly. What was the content of the report? An independent panel released conclusions on child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in France between 1950 and 2020 on October 5. Over the course of seven decades, the 2,500-page dossier describes how an estimated 3,000 child abusers, two-thirds of whom were priests, worked in the Catholic Church in France. An estimated 216,000 people were abused in this way. The "overwhelming majority" of victims, according to the study, were young males from various social origins. It called the abuse a "massive phenomena" that had been hidden under a "veil of silence" for decades. Victims of abuse boycott meeting The gathering was open to victims of abuse, but many declined. Some people were dissatisfied that the sexual abuse crisis was only one of numerous items on the church's agenda, rather than the sole issue. (With inputs from agencies)

216,000 child sex abuse cases: French Catholic Church recognises 'responsibility'