NSPCC call on social media platforms to do more to tackle online grooming after seeing a rise in number of offences in Lincolnshire

A children’s charity is calling on social media companies to do more to tackle online grooming after seeing a 20% increase in the number of offences recorded in Lincolnshire.

The NSPCC wants to see stronger regulation from watchdog Ofcom in forcing tech companies to take action to prevent paedophiles from targeting youngsters online.

Latest figures from the charity show that there were 101 reports of online grooming to Lincolnshire Police in 2023/24 — up from 84 in 2017/18.

NSPCC Chief Executive Sir Peter Wanless said: “One year since the Online Safety Act became law and we are still waiting for tech companies to make their platforms safe for children.

“We need ambitious regulation by Ofcom who must significantly strengthen their current approach to make companies address how their products are being exploited by offenders.

“It is clear that much of this abuse is taking place in private messaging which is why we also need the UK Government to strengthen the Online Safety Act to give Ofcom more legal certainty to tackle child sexual abuse on the likes of Snapchat and WhatsApp.”

The figures provided by Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire police forces show 587 Sexual Communication with a Child offences were recorded in 2023/24 – more than double the figures in 2017/18 when the offence first came into force.

Meanwhile, the number of online grooming crimes recorded by police forces across the UK has increased by 89% in six years (since 2017/18), with more than 7,000 offences recorded last year (2023/24).

The new findings reveal that Snapchat was present in almost half of grooming cases across the UK where the means of communication was disclosed.

Meta platforms were also popular with offenders, featuring in over a quarter of UK recorded cases where a platform was known, with WhatsApp (12%), Facebook and Messenger (10%), and Instagram (6%) all being used to abuse children.

Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok were all used in cross-platform grooming where the pattern of abuse points to a culture where the first point of contact between children and would-be offenders is on the open web.

This can include social media chat apps, video games and messaging apps on consoles, dating sites and chatrooms. Children are then encouraged to continue communication on private and encrypted messaging platforms where abuse can proceed undetected.

Girls are predominantly targeted by offenders for online grooming, making up 81% of total UK recorded cases where gender was known in 2023/24.

The youngest victim of online grooming in 2023/24 was a five-year-old boy.

National Police Chief’s Council Lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigations (CPAI) Becky Riggs said: “The numbers in this NSPCC data are shocking and policing joins partners in urging tech companies and Ofcom to fulfil their legal and moral obligations to keep children safe from harm within the online communities they have created.

“A year on from the Online Safety Act being passed, it is imperative that the responsibility of safeguarding children online is placed with the companies who create spaces for them, and the regulator strengthens rules that social media platforms must follow.

“Policing will not stop in its fight against those who commit these horrific crimes. We cannot do this alone, so while we continue to pursue and prosecute those who abuse and exploit children, we repeat our call for more to be done by companies in this space.”