The number of online grooming crimes in Wales has more than doubled over the past six years, with new data revealing the significant impact of platforms like Snapchat. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) disclosed that since the offence of online grooming was established in 2017, there has been a drastic increase in such crimes, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to two years.
Statistics compiled by the NSPCC through Freedom of Information Requests from police forces in Dyfed Powys, Gwent, North Wales, and South Wales uncovered a total of 554 Sexual Communication with a Child offences in 2023/24, surpassing the 274 cases recorded in 2017/18. The trend is not limited to Wales alone, as the NSPCC’s data indicates a nationwide surge in online grooming crimes, showing an 86% increase since 2017/18.
In Wales specifically, the statistics from 2017/18 to 2023/24 for online grooming crimes are as follows:
– Dyfed Powys: 19, 41, 39, 34, 36, 30, 67
– Gwent: 44, 26, 144, n/a, 26, 58, 67
– North Wales: 53, 103, 105, 114, 98, 101, 97
– South Wales: 158, 140, 91, 127, 166, n/a, 333
Across the UK, the total number of online grooming crimes recorded by the police from 2017/18 to 2023/24 amounted to 41,021 cases, indicating a worrisome trend that demands attention and action.
The NSPCC’s findings highlighted that Snapchat was prevalent in almost half (48%) of grooming cases nationwide, making it the most frequently used app for such criminal activities. Platforms under Meta’s umbrella also featured prominently, with Whatsapp involved in 12% of cases, Facebook and Messenger in 10%, and Instagram in approximately 6%, collectively representing 28% of the cases. Kik, another messaging app, was utilised in 5% of the grooming instances.
Moreover, the NSPCC reported that the majority of grooming victims were girls, accounting for 81% of the recorded cases where gender information was available in 2023/24. This distressing revelation underscores the urgent need to address and combat online grooming to safeguard vulnerable individuals, particularly young girls, from falling prey to predators.
The escalating incidence of online grooming crimes underscores the pressing necessity for concerted efforts from authorities, tech companies, and the community to tackle this menace effectively and protect those at risk. The steady rise in such offences serves as a stark reminder of the evolving landscape of online safety and the imperative to implement robust measures to combat digital exploitation and ensure the wellbeing of individuals, especially the youth.