Britain’s National Crime Agency has issued a stark warning about an unprecedented threat facing young people from online groups that manipulate teenagers into sharing violent and misogynistic content, as well as coercing others into acts of sexual abuse, self-harm, or violence.
In its annual crime trends assessment released on Tuesday, the agency—tasked with tackling serious and organized crime—revealed that reports related to these online threats had surged sixfold in Britain between 2022 and 2024. It emphasized that a significant number of young people were being groomed or blackmailed by these harmful digital communities.
“Young people are being drawn into these sadistic and violent online gangs, where they collaborate on a large scale to cause harm or incite others to commit dangerous acts,” stated Graeme Biggar, the agency’s director general. He underscored that these groups do not operate in hidden corners of the dark web but exist on mainstream platforms that young people use daily. He also raised alarms about young girls being groomed into self-harm and, in extreme cases, encouraged to attempt suicide.
These online groups have infiltrated popular gaming platforms like Roblox and communication apps such as Discord and Telegram, expanding their reach to vulnerable users.
The agency’s 2024 National Strategic Assessment highlighted that while some adults were involved, teenage boys were of particular concern due to their engagement in sharing violent and misogynistic material and targeting girls as young as 11.
Referred to as “Com” networks, these forums serve as hubs for disseminating extreme violence, gore, and child sexual abuse images. They also use severe coercion tactics to pressure young people into harming themselves, their siblings, or even pets.
The report described members of these networks—primarily young men—as being driven by a desire for status, power, control, misogyny, sexual gratification, or a fascination with extreme violence. It warned that exposure to such communities was likely fostering a dangerous inclination toward extreme acts of violence, especially among younger users.
“These networks attract young males who promote nihilistic ideologies, seeking status by committing or encouraging harmful acts,” the report noted. It also revealed that users in Britain and other Western countries had exchanged millions of messages related to sexual and physical abuse.
The agency cited the case of Cameron Finnigan, a British teenager sentenced in January for participating in an online Satanist group that blackmailed children into livestreaming self-harm, violence, and sexual abuse. Finnigan, 19, used Telegram to incite others to commit murder and suicide.
In his statement, Biggar emphasized that law enforcement was working alongside technology companies and psychologists to better understand youth behavior online. However, he urged parents to engage in regular conversations with their children about their online activities.
Government minister Jess Phillips, responsible for addressing violence against women and girls, described the scale of abuse outlined in the report as “absolutely horrific.” She encouraged families to foster open discussions and called on tech companies to take greater responsibility.
“My message to tech companies is simple: This is your responsibility, too,” she stated. “You must ensure your platforms are safe for children so that we can protect the most vulnerable and put predators behind bars.”
The agency’s latest crime survey placed a strong focus on the role of technology in facilitating criminal activities, including fraud, extremism, and sexual exploitation.
Quoting data from the Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit organization, the report disclosed that 291,273 web pages contained indecent images of children in 2024—a 6% increase from the previous year. Alarmingly, 91% of these images were categorized as self-generated, either shared consensually or obtained through manipulation.