The latest report from the National Observatory of Violence Against Women, published on April 10, 2026, paints a chilling picture: the sexual exploitation of children is not only persisting, it is exploding. In 2025, 704 minors were identified as victims, marking a 43% jump compared to 2021.

A typical profile marked by vulnerability

The data reveals a very specific gendered and social reality:

1. 94% of the victims are girls , often very young.
2. They mostly come from disadvantaged backgrounds .
3. Many are already being monitored by Child Welfare Services (ASE) .

From a legal standpoint, law enforcement distinguishes between two realities: 416 cases fall under pure pimping, while 288 are classified under the heading of "prostitution".

Digital technology: The new hunting ground

The street is no longer the primary recruitment ground. Today, exploitation is "uberized" and facilitated by digital tools. The association L'Amicale du Nid points out that 86% of the young people they support were contacted via platforms like Snapchat.

The methods have also evolved. "Lover boys" use social media to seduce and manipulate victims by promising easy money. The use of short-term rental apartments makes the work of identifying and investigating these scammers particularly complex for the police.

A legislative and societal paradox

While adult prostitution has declined by 8% since 2021, child prostitution has followed the opposite trend. This trend has provoked a strong reaction from those working in the field, who reject the very term "prostitution."

"A minor does not prostitute himself. He is corrupted, exploited, raped."

Despite a doubling of convictions for pimping between 2017 and 2024, the weak link remains the prosecution of clients. In 2025, only 1,442 fines were issued against them, a paltry number given the scale of the problem.

The failure of current systems?

Minister Aurore Bergé acknowledges a "reconfiguration" of sexual exploitation. Yet, despite the 2016 laws and successive action plans (2021, 2024), the protection of the youngest victims seems inadequate in the face of the speed of digital networks and persistent demand.

The question is no longer whether the phenomenon exists, but whether our institutions still have the means to stop it before it becomes permanently entrenched in the blind spot of society.