"Pocket money meeting"Sexual exploitation of minors via classifieds and dating portals

Back in 2020, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) drew attention in the Federal Situation Report to the fact that a new trend was emerging in which minors were primarily publishing advertisements on the internet to offer sexual acts in the context of so-called "pocket money meetings" . The current ECPAT study "Pocket money meetings: Sexual exploitation of minors and the role of online ad portals" shows that digital classified ad markets in particular play a central role in initiating contact for "pocket money meetings" with minors. On platforms such as markt.de or quoka.de, erotic offers can often be found alongside books or clothing, for example. Codes such as "TG-T" (pocket money meeting) or "BMB" (please with picture) are used to place targeted ads either offering or seeking sexual acts. According to the study, formulations such as "Please only 18+, but not older than 21" or "The younger the more, from 18 of course" can indicate an interest in minors.

As part of the ECPAT study on "pocket money meetings", the terms of use and registration processes on various online ad portals and dating platforms were examined. The aim was to examine how great the risk of sexual exploitation of minors is there. The result: inadequate regulation and a lack of responsibility with regard to child protection favor the initiationof sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.

• The conditions for opening an account are often very low (as a rule, a valid email address is sufficient), which makes it easy for minors to register.
• Reliable age verification often does not take place in the contact categories of classified ad markets or is easy to circumvent.
• Once initial contact has been made via online classifieds portals, communication often switches to more private, non-public channels (e.g. encrypted messenger services).
• Although platforms fulfill legal requirements for the protection of minors in their terms and conditions, the responsibility for protection against sexual exploitation is largely transferred to the users (platforms release themselves from any responsibility regarding behavior and posted content).

In the context of the study, representatives of markt.de stated that legal barriers (data protection, privacy) made it difficult for them to proactively search for illegal content.

According to the ECPAT study, young people often find out about the possibility of so-called "TG meetings" through their circle of friends and acquaintances. In interviews with experts from the counseling sector, the study found that these meetings are initially seen as an easy way to earn money. Girls in particular can also feel valued and validated when they realize that others are aware of their body and are willing to pay for it. The feeling that they are not under any pressure at "pocket money meetings" offers young people a supposed sense of control and security. However, minors can hardly assess the risks and consequences. For this reason, ECPAT is calling for child protection to be consistently enforced in the digital space, for the private sector to be held more accountable and for prevention and counseling services for children and young people to be expanded.

About ECPAT Deutschland e. V.

The Working Group for the Protection of Children against Sexualized Violence, Exploitation and Human Trafficking - ECPAT Deutschland e.V. - is a nationwide association of more than 20 organizations, institutions and counselling centres. ECPAT is active in the fields of politics, justice, business and education. In cooperation with (non-)governmental partner organizations, ECPAT carries out measures and projects to raise awareness among the professional public, to develop preventive measures and to create the legal basis for the protection of children from sexualized violence, exploitation and human trafficking.

All information on the ECPAT study on "pocket money meetings" can be found at https://ecpat.de/2025/07/30/studie-zur-sexuellen-ausbeutung-von-minderjahrigen-durch-taschengeld-treffen

Important contact points against sexual exploitation

• Nationwide overview of contact points and networks that support those affected by humantrafficking - including minors:
  www.bkk.ecpat.de/netzwerke  
• 'Don't look away' reporting platform by ECPAT Deutschland e. V. for reports of sexualized violence against and exploitation of minors:
  www.nicht-wegsehen.net  
• Nationwide overview of specialist advicecenters for victims of human trafficking at KOK - Bundesweiter Koordinierungskreis gegen Menschenhandel e. V.:
  www.kok-gegen-menschenhandel.de/der-kok/fachberatungsstellensuche    
• Federal coordination of specialized counsellingagainst sexualized violence in childhood and adolescence:
  www.bundeskoordinierung.de

Further advice centers for those seeking help

• The Help Portal Sexual Abuse is a service of the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues and N.I.N.A. e.V.. It offers a lot of information on the topic and helps you to find help and advice services locally . It also offers free and anonymous telephone advice (also multilingual and in sign language) and online advice. This makes it a free and anonymous point of contact for those affected by sexual violence, for relatives and people from the social environment of children, for professionals and for all interested parties.
  Telephone: 0800 - 22 55 530, Mon,Wed. & Fri.: 9 am - 2 pm; Tue. & Thurs.: 3 pm - 8 pm
  Online counseling: www.schreib-ollie.de
• Nummer gegen Kummer e.V. offers anonymous and free telephone counseling for children, young people and parents. Children and young people can also contact the "Nummer gegen Kummer" online advice service around the clock.
  Children's and young people's hotline Tel.: 116 111, Mon to Sat from 2pm to 8pm
  Parents' hotline Tel.: 0800 - 111 0 550, Mon to Fri from  9am to 5pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays until 7pm