There were more than 2,000 sexual offences recorded against children in Northern Ireland in 2024, 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 (SBNI) have launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the dangers for children online.
Clips from a BBC documentary about prolific catfish abuser Alexander McCartney will be used for the social media campaign.
Last year, McCartney was sentenced to life imprisonment 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 America, who took her own life after being targeted and abused by McCartney.
The PSNI said online sexual offences against children are becoming an increasing crime type in Northern Ireland.
A statement said: “There were 2,187 sexual offences against children recorded in 2024, 187 of which relate to grooming and sexual communication with a child.
“799 offences relating to taking, possessing, sharing or publishing indecent images of children were reported in 2024.”
The PSNI said its Child Internet Protection Team are the busiest they have ever been since its inception in 2010.
The statement said: “In 2024, 120 searches were carried out relating to tens of thousands of indecent images of children and thousands of devices were seized.
“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 has told how she supports the new PSNI campaign.
Immy (not her real name) said: “I think more young people should know that not everyone online is who they say they are.
“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.”
Detective Superintendent Jordan Piper said: “Groomers like 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.
“Once trust in established, they use power and control to make, force, blackmail, guilt or trick a child into doing what the groomer wants.
“They may persuade a child to take part in online sexual activity, including sharing explicit images and videos and livestreaming sexual acts.”
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.
“We have specialist detectives within the Child Internet Protection Team who are dedicated to robustly investigating those who contribute to the cycle of child abuse and bringing those responsible before the courts.
“We use specialist technology to examine digital devices and trace any digital interaction right back to the person, making it difficult for offenders to hide evidence from us.
“If a person is downloading, viewing or making indecent images of children, you are leaving a digital footprint and we are actively looking for you.”
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.
“Our message is clear: let your child know they can always come to you, especially if someone pressures them to share images or videos.”
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: “Too many children and young people in Northern Ireland are being exposed to abuse and exploitation online.
“This campaign is an important step in raising awareness of the risks, starting vital conversations, and helping parents, carers and communities take action to keep children safe in the digital world.
“It is being delivered as part of the Executive’s Online Safety Strategy, which is sponsored by my department, and supported by a newly updated action plan that sets out clear commitments to tackling these harms together.”