‘Cyber flag’ sex crimes increase by 44%

Thousands of cases of child sexual abuse linked to the internet were recorded by police last year, figures show.

Rape, sexual assault and grooming were among the offences logged which had a “cyber flag”, meaning the crime had an online element, with the youngest victim aged three.

The NSPCC, which obtained the data through Freedom of Information requests, said it was urging the next government to introduce strict internet safety measures to protect children.

In total, there were 5,653 child sex crimes recorded in 2016-17 involving the internet – equivalent to around 15 each day.

This was based on information from 39 police forces in England and Wales who gave figures on cyberrelated sex crimes against under 18-year-olds.

The number has risen by 44% compared to 2015-16, the NSPCC said.

For the past two years, police have been required by law to add a “cyber flag” to any child sexual offences that involved the internet in some form.

This could include activity such as online grooming, using the internet to meet up with a child, or an individual pretending to be someone online that they were not.

The data showed that among forces that recorded ages, 13 was the most common age of a victim. There were almost 100 crimes committed against youngsters aged 10 and under, and the youngest victim was aged three.