Germany recorded 17,126 cases of child sexual abuse in 2024 — a 4.7% rise on the previous year — while offences involving youth pornography hit a record 11,515 cases, up nearly 20%, according to statistics presented jointly by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Criminal Office (BKA) chief Holger Münch, and the government's Commissioner against Child Sexual Abuse, Kerstin Claus. Dobrindt described the findings as a "dramatic picture," attributing part of the surge to artificial intelligence tools that make it easier for criminals to alter and redistribute existing abuse material. Officials also warned that the figures capture only reported cases, and that gaps in the law — such as cybergrooming protections that apply only to children under 14 — leave significant blind spots, while a government proposal for three-month IP-address data retention has drawn criticism from opposition Greens politician Konstantin von Notz, who questions its constitutional validity.