The National Crime Agency (NCA) has issued a stark warning about a significant rise in harrowing crimes committed by online gangs, predominantly comprised of teenage boys, including child abuse and the sharing of extreme violent material.

NCA Director General Graeme Biggar highlighted the complexity of these networks, which extend beyond the dark web and infiltrate mainstream online spaces frequented by young people.

Crimes attributed to these gangs include sexual blackmail, sharing sexual images, fraud, and encouraging suicide, with victims as young as 11 years old.

The NCA reported alarming cases where young girls, some as young as 11, have been coerced into self-harm or abuse through grooming and manipulation, leading to significant under-reporting of such crimes.

Victims are being manipulated into streaming images of themselves harming their siblings and pets under threats of blackmail, further illustrating the severity of the issue.

In response to these rising threats, Ofcom has proposed measures to protect users from harmful content, with additional protections for children set to be finalized soon.

Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding, emphasized the government's commitment to utilizing all available resources, including the Online Safety Act, to protect children online.

Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson stressed the necessity of undercover operations and collaboration between law enforcement and social media platforms to combat these online threats.

The NCA is working with police, tech companies, and experts to better understand the motivations behind youth offending and to encourage parents to engage in discussions about their children's online activities.

The assessment warns of the grooming of young girls into self-harm and suicide by these networks, which have seen reported incidents increase sixfold from 2022 to 2024.

Andy Burrows from the Molly Rose Foundation expressed concern over the growing risks these groups pose to teenage girls and criticized Ofcom for not implementing effective measures to address online self-harm and suicide risks.

These online groups are fostering a dangerous trend of extreme violence among youth, with young boys often motivated by desires for power, control, and sexual gratification.