Child sexual exploitation figures could be HIGHER than thought
Cyber crime officers from Durham Constabulary worry about victims who're too scared to come forward.
There could be hundreds of North East children who're too scared to tell anyone they're being groomed online.
That's what police from Durham Constabularly have told us.
A report was published yesterday which revealed over 350 youngsters in our region are being sexually exploited, with most in Durham.
But Dectective Constable Jonathan Stoker, who works with the Cyber Crime Unit, says online grooming could make those numbers far higher.
He said: "That 350 children are the 350 children that we know about and are currently looking after and safeguarding.
"What is the worry is what children are out there that feel under pressure that they can't tell anybody?
"They've been told that if they tell somebody, something bad's going to happen."
DC Stoker will be visiting schools in County Durham today as part of Safer Internet Day, in a bid to make youngsters understand the dangers of speaking to strangers online.
For police, one of the biggest challenges is tracking online predators down, as they change their tactics almost daily.
DC Stoker says they use the latest apps and messaging services to gain access to vulnerable young people.
He said: "The people that want to exploit children change their tactics.
"They're always looking for the latest trend to look at pulling young people into that web of being stuck in a horrible situation.
"They just feel trapped, and we try and get kids to understand that they should never feel trapped.
"They should always feel free to speak to people."