HUNDREDS of millions of children a year are victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse around the world, researchers in Scotland reported today.

University of Edinburgh’s Childlight initiative found that one in eight of the world’s children have been victims of non-consensual talking, sharing and exposure to sexual images and video in the past year, amounting to about 302 million people.

In addition, 300 million are estimated to have been subject in the past year to online solicitation, such as unwanted sexual talk which can include non-consensual sexting, unwanted sexual questions and unwanted sexual act requests.