There were more than 2,000 sexual offences recorded against children in Northern Ireland last year, with 187 relating to grooming and sexual communication, police have said.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland have announced a campaign to raise awareness of online dangers for children.
Clips from a BBC documentary about prolific catfish abuser Alexander McCartney are being used for the social media campaign.
McCartney was sentenced to life imprisonment last year after admitting to 185 charges of online child sex abuse crimes and blackmail. The case led to the death of a 12-year-old girl in the US, who took her own life after being targeted and abused by McCartney.
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The PSNI said online sexual offences against children are an increasing crime type in Northern Ireland.
“There were 2,187 sexual offences against children recorded in 2024, 187 of which relate to grooming and sexual communication with a child,” it said in a statement.
There were “799 offences relating to taking, possessing, sharing or publishing indecent images of children” reported last year, it said.
The PSNI said its child internet protection team is the busiest it has been since its inception in 2010.
“In 2024, 120 searches were carried out relating to tens of thousands of indecent images of children and thousands of devices were seized,” the force said. “As a result of these searches, they made 43 arrests.”
Another prolific online groomer, Max Hollingsbee, was sentenced in May for a litany of online sex offences against underage girls. One of his victims offered her support for the new campaign.
“I think more young people should know that not everyone online is who they say they are,” said Immy (not her real name).
“What happened to me should never happen to you, but if it does – speak out. The police can and will help you. As a child or teenager, you’re not going to be thinking rationally in that situation. I wasn’t.
“A trusted adult or the police will know what to do to keep you safe. I have been to therapy and am taking steps to tackle my anxiety. I start university soon. It does get better.”
Det Supt Jordan Piper said groomers such as McCartney and Hollingsbee “operate in a very similar way, concealing their identity online, pretending to be the same age as a child”.
“They use fake profile pictures, pretending to have similar interests to gain the trust of the child before steering the conversation to a sexual nature,” she said.
“Once trust in established, they use power and control to make, force, blackmail, guilt or trick a child into doing what the groomer wants.”
Ms Piper added: “It is a crime for anyone to possess, make, distribute or show anyone an indecent image of a child under 18 years of age.
“This offence can be committed by an adult or a child. It is also a crime for an adult to send a sexually explicit image of themselves to a child.”
Independent chair of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland, Bernie McNally, said no child “should ever feel alone, afraid or manipulated by someone hiding behind a screen”.
“Yet every day, online predators exploit the trust and innocence of young people, often in silence and secrecy. This campaign is a vital reminder of the urgent need for education, vigilance and open, honest conversations with our children.
[ Five ways to help keep your child safe onlineOpens in new window ]
“Our message is clear: let your child know they can always come to you, especially if someone pressures them to share images or videos.” – PA
