AI playing a growing role in child sexual abuse, German report warns

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(L-R) President of the Federal Criminal Police Office Holger Muench, Independent Commissioner for Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse (UBSKM) Kerstin Claus and German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt present the 2025 report on sex crimes against minors in Germany on July 21, 2026. [AFP]

German authorities warned Tuesday of the "growing influence" of AI and digital technology on the sexual abuse of children, saying in a report that criminal abusers are increasingly using those tools.

Sexual abuse of minors is "increasingly shifting to the digital realm," driving overall statistics "upward", said Holger Muench, the head of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).

A total of 20,051 minors were victims of sexual abuse in Germany in 2025, compared to 19,344 in 2024, according to the BKA report released Tuesday.