Trigger Warning: This article contains discussions of sexual violence, coercion, and exploitation, which may be distressing to some readers. Please proceed with caution.
A bolt-out-of-the-blue investigation has brought to light that over 1,600 alleged crimes linked to OnlyFans have been reported to UK police over the past five years. The shocking revelation has posed serious concerns about coercion, blackmail, revenge po-n, and child exploitation on the platform.
OnlyFans has grown into a £5 billion industry. However, a recent investigation uncovered a dark side and brought to notice cases of forced participation, financial exploitation, and revenge porn that have left victims powerless.
Through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, police forces across the UK disclosed alarming cases associated with the platform. Among the most disturbing are at least 10 reports of women being forced into sex work on OnlyFans by controlling partners. These victims described being subjected to physical, emotional, and financial abuse as their abusers were allegedly earning profits from their content.
Bombshell OnlyFans probe reveals shocking scale of alleged crimes against 100s of UK womenhttps://t.co/7Ke1PrLyiahttps://t.co/7Ke1PrLyia
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) February 3, 2025
One woman from South Yorkshire reported that her partner strangled and r- – -d her and forced her to perform on OnlyFans while he was in charge of all the earnings, reported Mirror in its investigative report. Another in West Mercia said she endured 16 years of emotional and mental abuse as she had to create an account on the platform against her will. A third woman in Lincolnshire claimed she was threatened with death and forced into sex work to generate income on the platform.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed that one suspect had been charged following a victim’s complaint that she was made to join OnlyFans under duress.
Beyond cases of coercion, other disturbing claims are in light, too. Two of those are revenge porn and unauthorized distribution of explicit material. Police recorded at least 77 reports from victims who discovered intimate content of themselves uploaded on OnlyFans without consent—many by ex-partners.
One South Yorkshire woman found her ex was selling a sex tape of them for £100 after she subscribed to his OnlyFans. Another case included a Lancashire suspect who was secretly filming his partner during sex and monetizing the videos without her knowledge.
OnlyFans probe
Police files obtained by a Mirror investigation reveal more than a thousand crime reports linked to OnlyFans in five years including claims of coercion and control, rape, sextortion and revenge pornhttps://t.co/EPTvgFA2SC
— dave lawrence 🐟🐟🐠 (@dave43law) February 3, 2025
The investigation found 21 cases of reported rape where OnlyFans was mentioned. Among them, 10 were in Kent, where six arrests and three charges were made. At least two cases involved minors under 16.
Despite OnlyFans’ claims of a strict 18+ policy, police also recorded dozens of cases of underage users on the platform. Reports included a 16-year-old girl who was profiting from explicit content and a 17-year-old allegedly creating child pornography with a partner via OnlyFans.
OnlyFans CEO Keily Blair previously insisted that “no children are allowed on the platform.” However, the current findings stand as significant loopholes in enforcement.
The data also revealed 27 cases of blackmail and sextortion. Victims reported being coerced into paying large sums to prevent explicit content from being leaked.
One case involved a female content creator in Cheshire who allegedly recorded a victim and demanded £10,000 or else threatened to release the footage. Another victim in West Yorkshire said an OnlyFans model threatened to leak their explicit exchanges unless they subscribed.
Reports of stalking and harassment also came to light. In Humberside, a woman received explicit images with the words “Your Local Slag” delivered to her mother and neighbors. In another case, a former creator was repeatedly harassed by a fan who told her, “You are mine, and you will do what I want, when I want.”
Rape, abuse and revenge porn allegations from women over British-owned sex site OnlyFans is today’s @DailyMirror lead story. pic.twitter.com/t4yYigIhig
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) February 3, 2025
Despite the shocking revelations, conviction rates are alarmingly low. Out of 1,250 reported crimes, only 52 resulted in charges, with just 4% of suspects facing prosecution. Over 60% of cases were dropped due to “evidential difficulties” or victims withdrawing complaints.
Shockingly, reports have skyrocketed by 256% between 2020 and 2023.
Authorities are now calling for stricter regulations to prevent the platform from being exploited by criminals.
Jess Phillips, Safeguarding Minister, stated, “We are cracking down on platforms that provide a safe haven for criminals. Perpetrators must face the full force of the law.”
A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) urged tech companies to be “held accountable,” as he stated that “policing alone cannot keep people safe online.”