Investigator flags 26 OnlyFans accounts for suspected child exploitation

An experienced child exploitation investigator has raised alarms over multiple accounts on the popular adults-only website, OnlyFans, reporting 26 accounts suspected of containing sexual content involving underage girls. Matt W.J. Richardson, head of intelligence at The Canadian Open Source Intelligence Centre, reported these accounts to authorities on December 16, noting the disturbing scope of the issue, as per a report in Reuters.

In an interview with Reuters, Richardson stated, “What is alarming is the scope and scale of it,” as many of the accounts appeared to feature more than one female who he suspected was underage. Following his report, all the flagged accounts were removed within a day, according to Richardson. According to the news report, he had reported the accounts as containing suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the US-based clearinghouse for CSAM-related tips.

Richardson described the content in these accounts, which included images of females with physical traits commonly associated with minors. These images and videos were seen as potentially violating laws against sexually explicit material involving minors, which is prohibited on OnlyFans.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children told Reuters it could not comment on specific reports but stated that it investigates whether reported web pages host CSAM or exploitative content. NCMEC said it notifies the relevant company if material is found to be in violation and refers the issue to law enforcement agencies for potential investigation.

In response to Reuters’ inquiries, an OnlyFans spokesperson emphasized the company’s “zero tolerance approach” toward child sexual abuse material and outlined their strict onboarding processes for creators, which include identity verification to ensure creators are over 18. The spokesperson further stated that OnlyFans works closely with NCMEC to investigate any reports it receives.

However, questions arose regarding why the 26 accounts were only taken down after Richardson reported them. OnlyFans did not respond directly to that inquiry, the report stated. The platform has claimed that it invests heavily in content moderation and uses technology to detect material that is “extremely likely to be a child.”

The platform has faced ongoing scrutiny over child sexual abuse material. A previous Reuters investigation, using US police and court records, documented 30 complaints made to law enforcement about CSAM appearing on OnlyFans between December 2019 and June 2024, involving more than 200 explicit videos and images of minors.

In a separate finding, Reuters noted that non-explicit public profiles on OnlyFans sometimes featured promotional language and images that raised concerns about the sexualization of minors. Accounts with profile photos of females appearing childlike were flagged by experts, including Richardson, as potentially problematic, even if all creators were verified as adults.

When Reuters raised concerns about these 49 profiles, OnlyFans removed them after being contacted, claiming that all creators had been verified as over 18. However, OnlyFans did not provide details on why the accounts were removed or identify the third-party entity that confirmed the creators’ age verification.

The report raises serious questions about OnlyFans’ role in moderating content, especially when it comes to images and profiles that, despite appearing childlike, may still be linked to adult creators. While the company asserts that it reviews all reported content and works with NCMEC, the scale of the issue continues to be a point of concern.

Reuters said it continues to investigate these matters as the platform, known for its paywall that restricts access to its content, faces increasing scrutiny over the nature of material being shared on its platform.