ONLINE grooming crimes have more than doubled across the West Midlands since the year the offence was introduced – according to a children’s charity.
The figures, provided to the NSPCC by police forces in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and West Mercia show that 391 Sexual Communication with a Child offences were recorded last year – more than double the figure recorded when the law came into force in 2017/18.
Figures provided by 44 police forces across the UK, show that 7,263 Sexual Communication with a Child offences were recorded last year – a record high.
Nationally, of the 2,111 offences where police could identify the platform used, 40 per cent took place on Snapchat, nine per cent on WhatsApp and nine per cent on Facebook and Instagram.
Online child sexual abuse crimes can have a long-term impact on a child, leaving them with feelings of guilt, shame, depression, confusion, anxiety and fear.
A 14-year-old who contacted Childline said: “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.”
To tackle this issue, the NSPCC is publishing new research setting out solutions which can be used to prevent, detect and disrupt grooming in private messaging spaces.
Recommendations include implementing tools on a child’s phone that can scan for nude images and identify child sexual abuse material, before its shared, using metadata analysis, which uses background information, like when, where, and how someone is using a platform, to spot suspicious patterns. It does not read private messages, but it can flag behaviours that suggest grooming, such as adults repeatedly contacting large numbers of children or creating fake profiles.
And create barriers for adult profiles engaging children on social media platforms, like restrictions on who they can search and how many people they can contact.
Chris Sherwood, NSPCC chief executive, 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.
“At Childline, we hear first-hand how grooming can devastate young lives. The trauma doesn’t end when the messages stop, it can leave children battling anxiety, depression, and shame for years.
“Tech companies must act now to prevent further escalation. The tools the NSPCC sets out to protect children are ready to use and urgently needed. Importantly, they mean that services can keep children safe while protecting all user’s privacy.
“Children’s safety must be built into platform design from the start, not treated as an afterthought.”
