New NSPCC figures reveal that reported cases of children targeted by online groomers in the North West have more than doubled since 2017.

Police across the North West have recorded 1,127 online crimes which involve adults engaging in illegal sexual communication with minors since the beginning of this year. This is more than double the amount reported in 2017 when sexual communication with a child was designed as a stand-alone criminal offence. 

The majority of reported offences occurred via Snapchat (40%), with Facebook and Instagram named as common platforms predators use to contact children. 

One 14-year-old reportedly told Childline: “I feel so insecure all the time, so when this guy I’ve met online, who’s a few years older, started flirting with me, that made me feel so special. He seemed to care, but now he’s insisting I send him nudes, and I don’t know if he just gave me attention, so I’d send him nudes. I feel like I’ve been tricked, but I’m afraid what he might do if I just block him. I can’t control how anxious this makes me feel.” 

Sexual Communication with a Child was designed as an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015 which came into force in April 2017. This year alone, police across Britain recorded 7,263 offences which involved sexual communication between an adult and child - the highest on record. 

A parent of a victim who contacted the NSPCC said:

“I’m really shaken about everything going on. I can’t believe I didn’t realise my daughter was being groomed online. She hasn’t stopped apologising for sending the pictures, and I can’t tell her enough times that it wasn’t her fault.” 

According to the data, 80% of victims reported were girls (where gender was known) with the youngest known victim reported as a 4 year old boy. 

The NSPCC have outlined a number of recommendations which they are urging tech companies and Ofcom to take on board. Amongst them include the introduction of scanning software to minor children’s devices, social media metadata analysis and restrictions on adult accounts that contact large numbers of children. 

NSPCC Chief Executive Chris Sherwood said: “It’s deeply alarming that online grooming crimes have reached a record high across the UK, taking place on the very platforms children use every day. Tech companies must act now to prevent further escalation. Children’s safety must be built into platform design from the start, not treated as an afterthought.” 

For more information or advice in relation to online grooming visit nspcc.org.uk or call the NSPCC Helpline on Call 0808 800 5000. Any cases of online abuse can be reported to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection safety centre at www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre.