The rising danger of child grooming in a digital world
Guardii Analysis
In 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children logged more than 546,000 reports of online enticement, a 192 percent increase compared to 2023. NCMEC also reported a 1,325 percent increase in reports involving generative AI, from 4,700 in 2023 to 67,000 in 2024, with predators using generative AI to manipulate children by presenting fake images that appear realistic and creating false online personas. The organisation received nearly 100 reports of financial sextortion a day in 2024, as predators exploit social media, gaming platforms and encrypted apps to target children.
The sustained targeting and escalation that characterise both grooming and AI-driven manipulation are precisely the patterns Guardii is built to intercept. The platform's anti-grooming detection module identifies the progression from initial contact through trust-building to coercion in children's direct-message conversations in real time across Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Roblox and other platforms, flagging hostile contact before it reaches the target. Its AI-generated CSAM detection module addresses the 1,325 percent surge in AI-related reports, while the anti-sextortion filter surfaces children facing financial extortion to a parent, school or professional, enabling rapid escalation to the right authority before harm occurs.