Calls for urgent action on tech firms as online grooming reaches record high in Hampshire
Police forces in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and Hampshire recorded more than double the number of sexual communication offences with a child
We're seeing a record high of criminals using private messaging platforms to manipulate and groom children in Hampshire.
Police forces in Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, and Kent recorded a total of 843 sexual communication offences with a child last year.
That is more than twice the number reported back in 2017/18 when online grooming offences first became illegal, according to data shared by the NSPCC.
In Hampshire alone, there were over 200 reported sexual communication with a child offences.
The NSPCC has expressed growing concern about the national increase in online grooming crimes, with figures from 44 police forces showing a total of 7,263 offences in a year.
According to Rani Govender, Policy Manager for Child Safety Online at the NSPCC, criminals typically use private messaging platforms to manipulate and groom children.
Police data shows that 40% of UK-wide crimes took place on messaging platform Snapchat.
WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram were each associated with 9% of offences.
Ms Govender said: “These services have a huge responsibility to be made safer for children. Children are using these platforms day in and day out, and perpetrators are exploiting them to commit abuse,” Govender said.
The charity also noted that perpetrators often create fake profiles and use these to pose as children, fostering trust before exploiting victims.
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.”
Girls accounted for 80% of the children targeted in recorded cases where gender was known.
To address the rise in grooming crimes, the NSPCC has published research outlining tools that tech companies, Ofcom, and the UK Government can deploy to protect children.
Recommendations from the charity include:
- Using metadata analysis to flag potentially suspicious behaviour, such as adults contacting large numbers of children or consistently creating fake profiles
- Implementing device-level safeguards, which could block the sharing of child sexual abuse material and prevent harm before it occurs
- Establishing restrictions that create barriers for adult profiles engaging with children on social media platforms
- Ensuring overarching child protection measures are integrally built into platform design rather than treated as secondary priorities
Ms Govender emphasised that these measures are achievable and ready for rollout by tech firms.
“These protections could make a huge difference for children. The key is to ensure that children’s safety is placed first. These changes need to happen now, and it’s clear that further leadership is required from governments, regulators, and tech companies,” Ms Govender said.
The NSPCC said that the trauma of online grooming does not stop when communication with perpetrators ends. Children can experience long-lasting feelings of shame, guilt, depression, confusion, anxiety, and fear, which can have devastating effects on their lives.
Ms Govender added: “We know that for children who are targeted, the effects can be catastrophic. It is vital that they understand support is always available to them, from trusted adults or from Childline services. We’d urge them to reach out and seek help, no matter how scary or lonely their situation might feel.”
The NSPCC Childline is available for support and guidance for children affected by online grooming on 0800 1111.
It is free to contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from children and young people under 19.