SA teens tout for sex business on OnlyFans
South African teenagers are increasingly using platforms like OnlyFans and social media to sell sexualized content, raising alarms about child exploitation and grooming. Experts warn that minors are bypassing age restrictions to solicit business, often without parental knowledge.
Why it matters
This highlights the urgent need for better digital safety measures and parental oversight to protect minors from online sexual exploitation.
Local teens as young as 13 are soliciting for subscribers on global, adults-only content sites such as OnlyFans, offering services ranging from foot-fetish pictures to live sex acts on video.
The trend has emerged as countries across the globe grapple with how to stem the proliferation of sexual cybercrimes involving children. Some have gone as far as imposing a complete ban on social media for teens under the age of 16.
Cases of South African girls selling sexualised content, or receiving offers to produce it, are emerging almost every week, says Danie van Loggerenberg, CEO and founder of the National Centre for Child Protection. He says children bypass age-limit restrictions, and OnlyFans is just part of the picture.
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