'Sadistic' online gangs of teen boys targeting children, says crime agency

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has raised serious concerns about online gangs made up mostly of teenage boys who are committing harmful acts, including child abuse and promoting extremist views. Reports from technology companies indicate that the number of young men using specific online networks, referred to as 'com networks', has surged six-fold from 2022 to 2024. These gangs employ extreme coercion tactics to manipulate their victims, who are often children, including girls as young as 11, into engaging in self-harm or harming their siblings and pets. Graeme Biggar, the director general of the NCA, expressed alarm over the 'egregious harms' and the increasing number of cases linked to this threat. He noted that the same deceptive techniques used in cyber breaches to steal data from companies are now being used to pressure vulnerable girls into self-harm or harming family members. The rapid escalation to extreme behaviors within these networks is both new and shocking. The NCA's annual strategic assessment, released on Tuesday, highlighted that these groups regularly share harmful content and engage in extremist or misogynistic discussions. Some members of these online networks have already faced convictions for their crimes in the UK, while others are currently under investigation. Mr. Biggar emphasized that these gangs are collaborating on a large scale to inflict or incite serious harm. He pointed out that these groups are not hidden away on the dark web; they operate in the same online spaces that young people frequent daily. In January, a 19-year-old named Cameron Finnigan from West Sussex was sentenced to prison for his role in a Satanist terror network that targeted children for sexual blackmail. Police discovered swastikas, satanic symbols, and knives in his home during a search last March. They also found extreme child abuse material and a guide on how to execute a mass casualty terror attack on his digital devices. The NCA identified Finnigan as part of a deeply concerning trend of teenage boys engaging in these harmful groups. Mr. Biggar urged parents and caregivers to have conversations with their children about their online activities. James Babbage, the NCA's director general of threats, described 'com networks' as the online equivalent of urban street gangs that commit crimes to gain notoriety and instill fear.