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uk Sexual violence & highly sensitive situations sexual images of my child • nude images of my child • explicit photos of my child • indecent images of a child • child sexual images found • child exploitation suspected • online grooming suspected • coerced sexting suspected • blackmail for nudes • someone made my child send nudes • sexual photos on my child's phone • sexual videos on a device • child abuse images discovered • worried about online sexual abuse • device has illegal child images • screenshots of my child nude • private images shared without consent • child being pressured online

What to do if…
you find sexual images of your child on a device and you suspect coercion or exploitation

Short answer

Get your child to a calm, safe place and contact specialist safeguarding support (police if there’s any immediate risk; otherwise NSPCC/CEOP) rather than trying to investigate it yourself.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t confront the suspected person (online or offline) or warn them.
  • Don’t forward, upload, or show the images to anyone “to prove it” (including friends/family).
  • Don’t delete anything, “factory reset” the device, or keep searching through accounts for more material unless it’s necessary to address an immediate safety risk.
  • Don’t force your child to explain immediately or repeatedly.
  • Don’t threaten to punish your child or take their phone “forever” in the heat of the moment.

What to do now

  1. Make sure your child is physically safe right now. If you think they are in immediate danger or someone is trying to meet them, call 999.
  2. Stabilise your child first. In a steady voice: “You’re not in trouble. I’m glad I found out. We’re going to get help.” Keep questions minimal.
  3. Stop any ongoing coercive contact. If your child is currently messaging the person, ask them to stop replying. Avoid deleting messages.
    • If you’re worried the person may keep pressuring them right now, or content could be remotely shared/synced, it can help to pause connections (for example, airplane mode) and then stop using the device until you’ve had safeguarding advice.
  4. Get specialist safeguarding advice right away (even if you’re unsure).
    • Contact the NSPCC Helpline for guidance on what to do next and who to involve locally.
    • If the concern relates to online grooming/sexual abuse or suspicious online contact, make a report to CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection).
  5. Contact police when appropriate. If there’s no immediate danger, you can contact the police via 101 (or your local force’s non-emergency contact options).
  6. If it’s urgent but not an emergency, contact local Children’s Services. Your local authority Children’s Services (often via a “front door”/MASH safeguarding route) can advise and take safeguarding action when you’re worried a child may be at risk.
  7. Offer your child confidential support. If they don’t want to talk to you right now, offer Childline (phone or online) so they can speak to a trained counsellor.
  8. If the image is of your child and may be shared online, consider “Report Remove”. If your child is under 18 and the images are of themselves, they can use Report Remove (Childline/IWF) to try to get images taken down without sending the image to friends/family.

If you may want to report this (now or later), try not to delete anything or share the images. Keep the device somewhere safe and stop using it until you’ve had advice from police or a specialist safeguarding service.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide right now whether to tell school, other parents, or extended family.
  • You do not need to do a full “digital investigation” tonight (reading every message, hunting accounts, or trying to identify people yourself).
  • You do not need to get a perfect timeline from your child immediately.
  • You do not need to decide what consequences or rules will apply to devices in the long term.

Important reassurance

Finding this can be shocking and nauseating. Many children comply with coercion because they’re scared, confused, or threatened — not because they wanted it. Your calm response and getting the right safeguarding help quickly is protective.

Scope note

These are first steps to reduce harm and connect you with safeguarding support. Next steps (school involvement, social care, police process, device handling, and emotional support) depend on the details and should be guided by specialist services.

Important note

This is general information, not legal advice or a substitute for professional safeguarding support. If you think a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services.

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