Online sex predators 'preyed on children 44,000 times as new laws are delayed'

17 March 2023 , 00:01

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Chilling figures suggest that more than 40,000 online child sex offences have been carried out in the past year (Image: Getty Images/Cultura RF)

Online sex predators have carried out more than 40,000 offences against children since long-delayed law changes were first put before MPs, a chilling report warns today.

Charity the NSPCC says cases rose by 11% between April and September last year - with around 120 reported to police every day.

It means child victims are "paying the price" for the slow progress of the Online Safety Bill, which had its first reading in Parliament a year ago.

Campaigners called on the government to hurry up and ramp up laws protecting children.

The NSPCC estimates there have been 44,000 offences recorded by UK police in the past 12 months - up from 3,706 a decade ago.

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And it said the number of children contacting Childline about online sexual abuse and exploitation rose 24% in that time.

NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless said: “We are seeing a rising tide of online child sexual abuse and it is vital the Online Safety Bill that is eventually signed into law is robust enough to tackle both present and future harms.

The NSPCC says children are paying the price of the long delay (PA)

"Despite cross-party consensus there are powerful players who continue to seek to put up barriers to regulation and all the while children across the UK are paying the price in the form of record levels of abuse."

The charity has called for a child safety advocate to be appointed.

The NSPCC said in a statement: "These figures highlight just how important it is that the Online Safety Bill is placed on the statute book, in its strongest form, as soon as possible."

The bill has repeatedly been put back. In July last year it was postponed after Boris Johnson called a confidence vote in his own government.

An anticipated discussion in October was first pushed back to December, when it was sent back to committees for further scrutiny.

This followed a series of changes to the original bill focusing after a backlash over its impact on free speech, and to refocus on protecting children.

Dave Burke