ALMOST 500 sexual offences against children have been committed in the last three years using online platforms.
Across the Thames Valley, 484 children have been groomed online, with Instagram being the most common platform for this.
Now, the NSPCC is calling for on the Prime Minister to toughen the responsibility for tech firms to prevent offenders abusing children.
It’s understood the Online Harms White Paper consultation response has been signed off by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Home Office and is sitting with the prime minister for approval.
Thames Valley Police declined to provide information about the number of online child sex offences during lockdown, but national figures revealed more than 1,200 children were groomed in this way from April to June this year.
One girl who contacted Childline during the pandemic said: “I am 12 and I don’t have social media but I wanted to get online and chat to people since my friends had done it and told me it would be fun.
“It started off fine with the occasional hi and then men started sending pictures of their genitals and saying really personal things.”
The NSPCC warned the pandemic had created a perfect storm for online offenders and believes the figures could mark the start of a surge in online grooming crimes.
The charity’s chief executive Peter Wanless said: “As the pandemic intensifies the threat children face online, bold and ambitious action is needed in the form of a world-leading Online Harms Bill.
“This means legislation that is tough on online crimes against children and regulation that holds tech companies and bosses financially and criminally responsible if they continue to turn a blind eye to entirely avoidable harm.”
Chief constable Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on child protection, added: “The Online Harms White Paper, published in February, proposes a new regulatory framework and duty of care which have the potential to be of real use in the fight against child exploitation.”
