PAEDOPHILES are targeting children online in ever increasing numbers according to worrying new statistics.

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.

In the North-East alone, 2,674 sex crimes against children with a cyber element were recorded between 2015 and 2018/19.

Across Yorkshire and Humberside, police forces recorded 1,493 cyber-related sex crimes in 2018, an increase of 104 per cent from 729 offences recorded in 2015.

And the NSPCC fears that the figures may not reveal the true extent of the problem due to potential under-recording and logging variations across forces.

Detective Inspector Darrin Knight, of the North Yorkshire Police Digital Forensic Unit, said: “Whether it’s online gaming or watching videos on YouTube, the internet plays a significant role in the daily lives of our children and young people.

“Very sadly, paedophiles are well aware of this and so use the internet to target and gain a child’s trust, ultimately to exploit that trust for their own sexual gratification.

“While the increase in the number of online reported child sexual offences over the last few years is shocking, rather than it being a huge increase in people committing these offences, it is more a reflection of the growing recognition of these offences and a growing confidence amongst the public in coming forward and making a report to police."

The NSPCC is calling on the government to prioritise online safety and introduce 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, 13 was the most common age of the victim but there were 185 offences committed against children aged ten and under, even including babies.