In 2025, the number of elementary school children in Japan who fell victim to sex crimes and other offenses via social media reached 167, the highest in the past 10 years. According to the National Police Agency, this marks a roughly 20% increase from the previous year, with victims' ages believed to be decreasing. The agency plans to monitor social media posts and issue warnings against enticing messages.
According to National Police Agency data, the number of elementary school children victimized through social media in 2025 was 167, up 31 from the previous year and about five times the 35 cases in 2015. The total for those under 18 stood at 1,566, an increase of 80 from the year before. Junior high school students accounted for 758 victims, up 43, while high school students numbered 579, down three.
More than 70% of encounters began with posts by the victims, often sharing personal profiles or daily life details. Instagram was the most common platform with 456 victims, followed by X with 307, TikTok with 123, and online games with 81. For elementary school victims, 11-year-olds were the largest group at 71, followed by 12-year-olds at 57, 10-year-olds at 25, and 14 aged 8 or 9. The most common offenses included nonconsensual sexual contact and child pornography.
Elementary school students were more likely to connect with offenders on platforms popular with younger users, such as TikTok, Line, and virtual-space apps. The agency attributes the rise partly to the expanding use of smartphones among younger children.
Police also received 114 consultations and reports on 'sexual deepfakes'—fake sexual images of children created using generative AI—up four from the previous year. By school level, junior high students had 66 such victims, up 11; high school 32, down 15; and elementary six, up three.
About 60% of perpetrators in deepfake cases were classmates or from the same school, with some abusing images from graduation yearbooks or social media. 'While carrying out strict enforcement, we will strive to raise public awareness about the proper use of social media,' an NPA official said.
In response, the agency plans to monitor social media posts and issue warnings.
