POLICE Scotland have recorded more than 3500 online grooming crimes, according to new figures published by the NSPCC.
The new research also shows that in Scotland, 1873 offences took place against primary school children, with under-13s making up more than half of victims.
The new analysis comes ahead of MPs and Lords making final decisions on the Online Safety Bill next month.
The NSPCC first called for social media regulation to protect children from sexual abuse in 2017 and has been campaigning for robust legislation ever since.
The charity said the number of offences is likely to be far higher than those known to police. In response, they are urging politicians on all sides to support the Bill in its final stages and pass this vital legislation.
Aoife, 19, from East Kilbride, was exploited online when she was 15 by an adult male who pretended to be a teenager. The man convinced her to send him images of herself and then blackmailed her.
When his demands became increasingly intense and frightening, Aoife plucked up the courage to tell her mum and teachers, who helped them to report it to the police.
Aoife said: “When I found out I’d been talking to an older man I was petrified. I remember it was 3am and I was sitting in my room, just shaking. I felt like I was the only person in the world and started crying.
“I wanted my mum, and while she was just in the room next door I thought I couldn’t tell her because it’s so embarrassing, but all I wanted was a hug from her.”
A draft Online Safety Bill was published over two years ago but regulation was first promised by Government in 2018.
The legislation will mean tech companies have a legal duty of care for young users and must assess their products for child abuse risks and put mitigations in place to protect children.
It will give the regulator, Ofcom, powers to address significant abuse taking place in private messaging and require companies to put safeguards in place to identify and disrupt abuse in end-to-end encrypted environments.
The NSPCC said these measures are vital to effectively protect children from the most insidious abuse.
Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive said: “Today’s research highlights the sheer scale of child abuse happening on social media and the human cost of fundamentally unsafe products.
“The number of offences must serve as a reminder of why the Online Safety Bill is so important and why the ground-breaking protections it will give children are desperately needed.
“We’re pleased the Government has listened and strengthened the legislation so companies must tackle how their sites contribute to child sexual abuse in a tough but proportionate way, including in private messaging.
“It’s now up to tech firms, including those highlighted by these stark figures today, to make sure their current sites and future services do not put children at unacceptable risk of abuse.”
Susie Hargreaves, chief executive of the Internet Watch Foundation, said: “We urge companies to make sure there are robust safety features brought in if they intend to introduce end-to-end encryption to their platforms.
“Without them, end-to-end encryption will be a smokescreen for abusers, helping them hide what they’re doing, and enabling them to continue to hurt children and destroy young lives.
“Some of the worst sexual predators in the world can now have potentially any child within their grasp with a few clicks of a mouse’s button. The internet has allowed access to those who want to groom and sexually abuse children, and we deal with the fallout every day.”
