Britain’s National Crime Agency has issued a warning regarding an “unprecedented risk” to young people from online groups that promote sadistic and misogynistic content, as well as coercing individuals into sexual abuse, self-harm, or violence.
In its annual crime trends assessment released on Tuesday, the agency reported a sixfold increase in incidents related to these online threats from 2022 to 2024, highlighting a significant number of victims being groomed or blackmailed.
Graeme Biggar, the agency's director general, stated, “Young people are being drawn into these sadistic and violent online gangs, where they are collaborating at scale to inflict, or incite others to commit, serious harm.” He emphasized that these groups operate in the same online spaces that young people frequent daily, with young girls being groomed to harm themselves and, in some cases, encouraged to attempt suicide.
The National Strategic Assessment for 2024 expressed particular concern regarding teenage boys who often share sadistic and misogynistic material and target girls as young as 11. These groups, referred to as “Com” networks, serve as platforms for sharing extreme violence, gore, and child sexual abuse, while also employing “extreme coercion” to manipulate young individuals into self-harm or abuse.
The report noted that members of “Com” networks are typically young men driven by motivations such as status, power, control, misogyny, sexual gratification, or an obsession with violent material. It suggested that the rise of these online groups is likely contributing to a dangerous propensity for extreme violence among some individuals, particularly younger people.
Users in Britain and other Western countries have reportedly exchanged millions of messages online related to sexual and physical abuse. An example cited by the agency is that of Cameron Finnigan, a British teenager sentenced to jail in January for his involvement in an online Satanist group that blackmailed children into filming or livestreaming self-harm, violence, and sexual abuse.
Mr. Biggar mentioned that police are working with technology companies and psychologists to better understand young people's online behavior, while also encouraging parents to engage in regular discussions with their children about their online activities.
Jess Phillips, a government minister responsible for addressing violence against women and girls, described the report's findings as “absolutely horrific” and called for open family conversations. She emphasized the responsibility of tech companies to ensure their platforms are safe for children, urging them to protect vulnerable users and hold predators accountable.
The agency's latest survey also focused on the role of technology and online platforms in various crimes, including fraud, extremism, and sexual abuse. Citing data from the Internet Watch Foundation, it reported that 291,273 web pages contained indecent images of children in 2024, marking a 6 percent increase from 2023, with 91 percent classified as self-generated indecent imagery, either shared consensually or elicited through manipulation.