06/08/2026
The biggest supplier of content used by child predators isn’t child predators. It’s parents.
Read that again.
Every day, parents publicly post photos and videos of their children for likes, followers, sponsorships, branding, free products or simply to share their lives.
By the age of 13, the average child has around 1,300 photos and videos of them online, posted by their own family. Within minutes of being born parents are posting their child to the world. Reality check… No one cares besides your family and predators with sexual fetishes and fantasies of infants. But still that won’t deter parents.
Child images used in profile pictures on public accounts. How hard is it to have a private account or not put your child’s face on your profile picture? Are you that obsessed to show the world you have a child? Schools, sports clubs, daycare centres to name a few are all just as guilty of putting children’s safety behind other priorities.
Now ask yourself this:
Who is providing predators with the biggest library of children’s images?
Not the predators.
Parents.
Those images are downloaded, stolen, and shared across pa******le forums and networks, including on the dark web. They are used to identify children, manipulated with AI to create abhorrent child sexual abuse material (CSAM), exploited by child traffickers, and used by lone offenders seeking to identify, groom, sexually abuse, abduct, or otherwise exploit children.
After 26 years investigating crimes against children, I can tell you this isn’t fearmongering. It’s happening every day, and it’s getting worse. Law enforcement around the world is warning parents. Child protection organisations like Project Rescue Children have been warning parents for years.
But many parents still don’t listen, or care.
We’ve created a culture where too many parents value social media attention, seeking that extra like or follow, over their child’s digital privacy and safety.
The “child influencer” phenomenon didn’t happen by accident. It has been fuelled by mainstream media and journalists who glorify influencers instead of exposing the risks. The result is a culture where too many parents (and grifters) chase likes, followers, sponsorships and attention while sacrificing their children’s privacy and digital safety.
Your child isn’t content.
Your child isn’t a marketing tool.
Your child isn’t an influencer.
Your child isn’t a tool to get free products.
Before you post that next photo, ask yourself one question:
Would I be comfortable if this image ended up in the hands of a child predator?
If the answer is no, don’t post it.
Remove your child’s image from your profile pictures and make your accounts private. 2 very easy and free methods to help protect your children. Those who still ignore (which will be many) are blatantly negligent in protecting their children. It’s that simple.
Privacy protects children. Social media doesn’t.
— Adam Whittington
www.adamwhittington.com
