CHILDREN in Cheshire are increasingly being targeted on the web by sex offenders, according figures unearthed by children’s charity NSPCC.

Last year, a record 8,224 child sexual offences logged by police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had an online element, according to figures obtained by the NSPCC through a Freedom of Information request.

A total of 40 out of 44 forces provided the NSPCC with data on cyber-related sex crimes against under-18s including online grooming, sexual communication with a child, and rape.

Cheshire Police could not provide figures for the latest year – 2018/19 – but figures for the previous three years show the concerning rate at which children are being increasingly targeted.

In 2015/16, 15 offences were recorded in Cheshire, in 2016/17, 61 offences were recorded, and in 2017/18, 163 offences were recorded. These figures show the number of offences increased by more than 10 times in two years.

The charity now calls on the next Prime Minister to stand firm against industry lobbying by prioritising online safety and bringing in laws that deliver a change in protection against abuse.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO, said: “Behind each offence is a child suffering at the hands of sex offenders and, worryingly, we know these figures are the tip of the iceberg.

“Far too many children are drowning in a sea of online threats so it’s now time for the next Prime Minister, whoever he may be, to cast out the life jacket.

“He must hold his nerve and introduce an independent regulator to protect children from the risks of abuse and harmful content.”

For offences where the age was recorded nationally, 13 was the most common age of the victim but there were 164 offences committed against children aged ten and under, even including babies yet to reach their first birthday.

The number of crimes has doubled in the past four years since police began recording whether an offence had an internet element with a cyberflag, up from 4,042 in 2015/16.

The NSPCC fears that the figures may not reveal the true extent of the problem due to potential under-recording of the role of online in these crimes and wide logging variation across forces. It also comes on top of other online harms against children recorded by police such as indecent image offences.