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The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation says the rise was driven in part by students attempting to harass classmates.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has issued a warning to parents concerning a rise in incidents of AI-generated child abuse material.
The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) has seen a marked rise in the creation of such material over the last 12 months. Two men were arrested in 2024 for creating and possessing AI-generated child abuse material; however, the ACCCE – which is led by the AFP – also noted that school-age children are creating a significant amount of material themselves.
This material is then used to intimidate or harass fellow students.
AFP Commander Helen Schneider warned students to be aware that creating child abuse material, for any reason and even by artificial means, could still be a crime.
“Children and young people are curious by nature, however, anything that depicts the abuse of someone under the age of 18 – whether that’s videos, images, drawings or stories – is child abuse material, irrespective of whether it is ‘real’ or not,” Commander Schneider said in a statement.
“The AFP encourages all parents and guardians to have open and honest conversations with their child on this topic, particularly as AI technology continues to become increasingly accessible and integrated into platforms and products.”
Commander Schneider added that the AFP’s ThinkUKnow program is an essential source of information for concerned parents and carers, and it can help them have informed conversations on the topic.
“These conversations can include how they interact with technology, what to do if they are exposed to child abuse material, bolstering privacy settings on online accounts, and declining unknown friend or follower requests,” Commander Schneider said.
The AFP also issued a warning this week regarding the posting of back-to-school photos of children on social media.
“It is an unfortunate reality that innocently posted pictures have been taken, shared and altered by those who have less-than-innocent intentions,” Commander Schneider said.
“The AFP has seen non-explicit pictures of children and young people become the target of highly sexualised and inappropriate comments or role-play, which our investigators define as text-based child abuse material.
“While these incidents are rare, the sad reality is they do happen, which is why we are urging families to be proactive with keeping their child’s information safe as the 2025 school year gets underway.”
Commander Schneider suggests taking steps such as blurring the school name or logo on any shared photos and being wary of sharing any information that may lead to an offender attempting to groom them for further contact.
“I also urge parents and carers to check their privacy settings to ensure pictures and information can only be accessed by trusted friends and relatives,” Commander Schneider said.
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the ACCCE. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online child sexual exploitation, support services are available.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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