Brussels — Belgium is witnessing a troubling rise in the number of children sharing sexual content of themselves online, according to Yves Goethals, head of the federal child abuse unit.
Despite efforts by online platforms to flag such material, the inefficiency of current systems remains a significant barrier to addressing the issue effectively.
In recent years, authorities have observed an increase in children aged between eight and 12 posting explicit images and videos on social media. “They don’t know what they’re doing […] they think it’s fun and they get some ‘likes’ from friends,” Goethals explained.
While these minors are not treated as criminals under Belgian law, the accessibility of such content significantly heightens the risk of exploitation by predators.
Goethals warned that these images often end up in the hands of abusers who use them to coerce other children into similar actions. “These clips fall into the hands of child abusers who use them to convince other children to do the same,” he added.
Growing Threats from Online Cults
The manipulation of minors through online platforms drew international attention earlier this year following reports of a surge in online abuse cults.
According to Europol, these networks target children aged eight to 17, pressuring them to commit and share acts ranging from sexual exploitation to violence.
Although Goethals’ team has not yet identified any Belgian victims linked to these networks, he expressed caution. “I am not naive that it could be happening in Belgium,” he noted.
Goethals pointed out that while Europol’s information had only recently reached his unit, the tactic of manipulating minors is not new.
“Manipulating children has always happened,” he said. “But years ago [abusers] just had the children around them, and now they have the internet.”
Flaws in the System
Addressing online child abuse requires an international approach, but the current process has significant flaws.
Most social media platforms, primarily based in the United States, report potential cases of child exploitation to the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The NCMEC then relays relevant information to Europol, which cross-references details before forwarding them to national authorities.
Goethals criticized the inefficiency of this process, highlighting instances where his team receives hundreds of irrelevant reports, such as adult content that is not illegal.
“The reporting should be more to the point,” he argued. Additionally, the unit often deals with duplicate reports of the same case, which wastes resources and skews statistics.
“The solution requires more effort from social platforms,” Goethals asserted. “They have the technology, the money, and the means, so they need to find a solution.”
Parental Vigilance and Prevention
Goethals emphasized the crucial role of prevention in combating online exploitation of minors. He urged parents to be more vigilant about the content their children access on social media.
“If you teach your child to ride a bicycle, you won’t send them alone to Rue de la Loi at rush hour,” he remarked, stressing the importance of parental guidance in navigating the digital landscape.
Despite acknowledging the limitations of existing resources, Goethals expressed a pragmatic outlook.
“There is not enough manpower to fight any criminal phenomenon,” he admitted. “You have to make the best of the resources you have. That’s what we are doing.”
Concluding on a cautious note, Goethals warned that while efforts to enhance online safety for minors are ongoing, no solution is foolproof.
“If you have a building with 25 doors and you close 24, then that 25th door will cause problems — and there are millions of doors on the internet,” he said.
