Over 3,500 online grooming crimes against children recorded by Police Scotland

Charity urges MPs to support new legislation

More than 3,500 online grooming crimes against children have been recorded by Police Scotland over the past six years, with a leading children’s charity warning the scale of the offences highlights the “desperate need” for new legislation designed to protect youngsters from harm.

Research by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has found more than half of the recorded offences – a total of 1,873 – took place against children under the age of 13. However, it warned the number of offences was likely to be “far higher” than those known to police.

Data obtained by the charity via Freedom of Information legislation shows that in 2022/23, Scotland’s national force recorded 593 offences classed as communicating indecently with a child. Since April 2017, when the NSPCC first called for online safety regulation, the total stands at 3,572.

The new analysis of the scale of child sexual abuse taking place on social media comes ahead of MPs making final decisions on the Online Safety Bill next month. The charity has urged tech companies and politicians to back the legislation, which aims to crack down on illegal and harmful content online by imposing new legal requirements on big tech companies.

One Scottish victim of online grooming, Aoife, has also told of the “petrifying” experience she went through. The 19-year-old from East Kilbride was just 15 when she was exploited online by an adult male who pretended to be a teenager.

The man convinced her to send him images of herself and blackmailed her with these to control her behaviour. When his demands became increasingly intense and frightening, Aoife plucked up the courage to tell her mum and teachers, who helped them to report it to the police.

Aoife said: “When I found out I’d been talking to an older man, I was petrified. I remember it was 3am and I was sitting in my room, just shaking. I felt like I was the only person in the world and started crying. I wanted my mum, and while she was just in the room next door I thought I couldn’t tell her because it’s so embarrassing, but all I wanted was a hug from her.”

Over 3,500 online grooming crimes against children have been recorded by Police Scotland over the past six years. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

A draft Online Safety Bill was published over two years ago, but regulation was first promised by the UK Government in 2018 following the NSPCC’s call for action and the launch of its ‘Wild West Web’ campaign.

Sir Peter Wanless, the NSPCC’s chief executive said: “Today’s research highlights the sheer scale of child abuse happening on social media and the human cost of fundamentally unsafe products. The number of offences must serve as a reminder of why the Online Safety Bill is so important and why the ground-breaking protections it will give children are desperately needed.

“We’re pleased the Government has listened and strengthened the legislation, so companies must tackle how their sites contribute to child sexual abuse in a tough, but proportionate way, including in private messaging.

“It’s now up to tech firms, including those highlighted by these stark figures today, to make sure their current sites and future services do not put children at unacceptable risk of abuse.”