Leicestershire Police recorded more than 2,137 sexual offences against children in 2023/24, equating to over five crimes each day.
Police are working with partners on these issues. Detective Chief Inspector Greenway spoke about this, stating they created films to help protect children. Police take all reports seriously.
The NSPCC found Snapchat was often used by abusers, along with other Meta sites. 50% of offences occurred on Snapchat, 11% used Instagram, and 7% involved Facebook.
Children’s charities want government action and have asked for tighter rules for kids online. Furthermore, they criticized Ofcom’s Illegal Harms Code update because it lacked strong protection for vulnerable children.
The charities see loopholes in the Online Safety Act because platforms only remove illegal content when feasible. This helps some services avoid child protection duties.
Private messaging helps abusers stay hidden. The NSPCC thus wants safeguards on all sites, including encrypted apps such as WhatsApp, and such platforms should not be a haven for perpetrators.
NSPCC’s Chris Sherwood is alarmed by the numbers, saying tech firms disregard illegal content. He wants rules for private messaging services, and the government must hold tech firms accountable.
Police provide specialists to support victims and raise awareness of online dangers. Leicestershire Police helped produce two films to help children spot online grooming signs.