Child sexual abuse in the UK is rising sharply, police say. Around 1,000 paedophile suspects are arrested every month. The number of children saved from harm has jumped by 50% in the past five years. The National Crime Agency (NCA) links this rise to technology and online radicalisation. Offenders meet in online forums urging each other to view abuse images, claiming it is normal. Most of the harmful contact happens on common social media platforms. Algorithms push illegal material to users who have shown interest before. "The significant increase in every measure really worries us," said Rob Jones, NCA's director general of operations. He added that leads about people interested in abusing children have risen ten times in ten years. Each month, about 1,200 children are safeguarded. Jones noted that most abuse images are "known images" that have circulated for a long time. He urged tech companies to remove them. "The threat is getting worse, despite our best efforts… There is more access to children online," he said. Offenders now use the dark web for planning but use the open web to find vulnerable children. The police race to catch the worst offenders, many trusted adults, who made up 15% of 33,000 leads last year. Jones explained that algorithms introduce potential offenders to harmful content. Forums tell them "you are normal" and encourage their behaviour, leading to online radicalisation. Recent arrests include Vincent Chan, jailed for 18 years for abusing toddlers, and Joao-Carlos Jardim Dos Santos Teixeira, jailed for 11 years for sharing child abuse material, including AI-generated images. Jones said offenders adapt to avoid detection, but tech companies can do more. "Technology is increasing opportunities for child sex offenders," he said. "Some improvements are seen but not enough to protect children today." UK law enforcement is frustrated with tech companies' slow action but recognizes their help is vital. Jones stressed that tech firms could use AI to detect and remove known abuse images from the open web. "That is the low-hanging fruit," he noted, urging stronger measures. The Online Safety Act helps but is not enough, police admit. Jones said more protective measures must be put in place quickly. Becky Riggs from Staffordshire police added that while some platforms perform better, end-to-end encryption still limits monitoring. She warned the harm to victims is often lifelong and worsened as images spread online. Jones dismissed a ban on social media use under 16 as "not a silver bullet." The NCA revealed that livestreamed child sexual abuse can be bought online for as little as £20. Police also said there is no typical offender and that up to 840,000 UK adults could have sexual interests in children.