A growing threat? Online child sexual exploitation and abuse in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cape Verde

Urgent action is required to prevent devastating consequences for individuals in West Africa.

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This report examines the prevalence of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) in West Africa, specifically in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cape Verde, highlighting key risk factors. Data on OCSEA is scarce due to under-reporting and weak reporting mechanisms, but preliminary data indicates an acceleration in uploads since 2019. Case studies in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Cape Verde reveal gaps and shortcomings in victim identification, protection and prosecution. Urgent action is required to prevent devastating consequences for individuals in West Africa.

About the authors

Thi Hoang is an analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and the managing editor of the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development. Her work focuses on the role of technology on human trafficking, migrant workers’ vulnerabilities and cybercrime. Thi supports the Tech Against Trafficking initiative as a research lead and is also the regional advisor of the Pacific Links Foundation.

Livia Wagner is the thematic lead on human trafficking at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, specialising in tech-facilitated human trafficking as well as labour exploitation in combination with natural resource trafficking. She is also part of the Advisory Board for the EU Study supporting the evaluation and impact assessment of the EU Directive 2011 on sexual exploitation of children.