NSPCC: ‘Toddlers targeted by paedophiles online’

Children as young as one have fallen prey to paedophiles using the internet, with crimes including more than 100 rapes involving predators operating online in the last year.

The NSPCC said 38 police forces in England and Wales had recorded 3,186 sex crimes against children in 2015/16 that involved offenders using the internet.

Offences included sexual assaults, grooming victims, and inciting children to take part in sex acts.

Most victims where an age was provided by police were 13 (535), but 272 were under 10 and the youngest was one.

This is the first year that police have been required to “cyber flag” sex abuse cases where the internet was used, although the NSPCC added that “a small number” of forces said they did not know about or were not using the Home Office scheme.

Chief executive of the NSPCC Peter Wanless said: “These figures confirm our fears that the online world is playing a significant role in the sexual abuse of children in the UK.

“It’s clear a large volume of sexual assaults and rapes of children have involved the use of the internet — for example by grooming victims before abusing them offline, or live-streaming the abuse.

"Children are increasingly telling our ChildLine service how they are being targeted.”