The figures were presented by Gerson Duarte, an inspector from the Polícia Judiciária, during the webinar “Between Clicks and Threats: Sexual Crimes Against Children,” organized by the Azores Commissioner for Childhood (CAI).
The number of sexual crimes investigated, which includes cases involving both children and adults, reached 182 in 2024, a figure similar to 2023 (184) and higher than 2022 (156).
The most prevalent crimes were sexual abuse of children (under 14) and dependent minors (aged 14 to 18), totaling 101 in 2024, up from 90 in 2022.
Most investigations of this type of crime occurred on São Miguel, the largest island of the archipelago, with 60 cases, followed by Terceira (20), Pico (nine), Faial (seven), Graciosa (two), Flores (two), and São Jorge (one).
In 2024, the Azores also investigated 19 cases of child prostitution and pornography, and 15 cases of sexual acts with adolescents (aged 14 to 16).
According to Gerson Duarte, by 2025, 23 investigations into child pornography have already been opened, often originating from reports by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the United States.
Of these 23 investigations, already surpassing the numbers for 2023 (19) and 2024 (17), six cases resulted in charges, four were closed, and 13 were resolved through police assessments confirming no minors were involved.
The number of investigations opened for luring minors for sexual purposes is more modest, with only three recorded in 2023, one in 2024, and one in 2025, all of which led to charges.
During the webinar, which had over 100 participants, Emanuel Areias, the new president of the Azores Commissioner for Childhood, expressed the intention to promote more initiatives of this kind, emphasizing that one of his priorities will be the issue of technological dependencies.
Emanuel Areias highlighted the “urgency of digital literacy, proper supervision, and open dialogue within families and schools” and stated that the Azores Commissioner for Childhood positions itself as “an educational body committed to discussing, alerting, educating, and denouncing.”
“Protecting children and young people requires more than legal frameworks; it demands a collective culture of vigilance, courage, and accountability. It requires everyone—families, schools, services, communities—to recognize signs, act early, and protect without hesitation,” he stressed.
The new commissioner president also announced plans to create in 2026 a “consultative panel of children and youth, whose main mission will be to involve children and young people in discussions, decisions, and policies concerning them.”
