Law enforcement officers from seven European countries, working alongside Interpol and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, identified 27 potential victims of sexual exploitation during a four-day hackathon in Lyon, France, that concluded on 22 May. The operation, named CyberProtect III, also generated 34 suspicious cases and 18 suspect profiles, according to Interpol. Investigators from Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom focused on subscription-based adult content websites that organised crime networks are increasingly using to recruit and exploit women, minors and vulnerable adults.

A separate study released by UNICEF, ECPAT International and Interpol estimates that 1.6 million adolescents in Mexico—one in eight internet users aged 12 to 17—experienced online sexual exploitation or abuse over a one-year period. The research, conducted in 2023 and 2024, found that 67 per cent of incidents occurred exclusively online, mainly through social media, and that in nearly two-thirds of cases the victim knew the aggressor, often a friend, partner or family member. Less than 1 per cent of incidents were reported to authorities, and affected adolescents were 15 times more likely to self-harm and 12 times more likely to report suicidal thoughts, the study notes. Interpol had earlier issued a Purple Notice warning that criminal groups pose as modelling agencies to entrap victims, then use psychological pressure to force increasingly explicit content production—a practice law enforcement officials term “e-pimping”. The Lyon operation documented tactics including encrypted recruitment without age verification, the buying and selling of content producers, cryptocurrency and emoji-based payment systems, and the use of artificial intelligence to generate fake profiles.

In Cúcuta, Colombia, municipal authorities have activated 21 victim assistance routes so far this year, with sexual exploitation the most frequently reported crime. Victims include both migrants and Colombian nationals, lured through false job offers and travel packages, and are often taken to Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, the Dominican Republic or Mexico, according to the local government secretariat. Armed groups and criminal bands operating in the Catatumbo region are blamed for much of the trafficking. Meanwhile, in Sweden, a parliamentary justice committee report has documented serious deficiencies in the police and prosecution response to human trafficking, noting a weak victim perspective, low clearance rates and cases where exploited individuals are deported rather than offered support. The Salvation Army in Sweden reports that it met 418 suspected victims from 37 countries in 2025, of whom 260 received direct assistance. A government proposal to criminalise the knowing use of “slave services” is under consideration, following an updated EU directive.

Swedish police in Norrköping separately warned that criminal gangs are using social media and encrypted chats to recruit children and adolescents for serious offences, with the risk intensifying during summer months when fewer adults are present. Local police chief Frida Braf described countering youth recruitment as the highest priority, citing a serious nationwide picture of minors being drawn into crime. Authorities urged parents to watch for signs such as multiple phones, unexplained new clothes or sudden changes in social circles. Across the regions, investigations remain active and authorities stress the need for stronger cross-border digital evidence gathering, platform accountability and victim identification systems.