Could Your Child's Online Friend Be a Predator?

May 07, 2025

We can all agree that in today’s digital world, children live their lives through their devices and form friendships with people online, whom they have never met. Being part of online communities can make them feel a sense of belonging, but it can pose multiple risks to the child. Approximately 17% of children aged 10 to 15 in England and Wales have chatted online with someone they've never met face to face.1

What are the risks?

Online Grooming Threats

Online sexual predators have used games, chat apps and social media platforms to initiate and develop relationships with their young victims, which can quickly develop into grooming and exploitation. These are common hunting grounds as they are relatively ‘safe’ for the predator and allows them to take their time in building trust with the victim. Between April 2017 and March 2023, UK police recorded nearly 34,000 online grooming offences, an 82% increase in just five years.2

Exposure to Inappropriate Content

The internet is a cesspit when it comes to inappropriate and criminal content, and you can often find yourself being exposed to it with little to no effort, unfortunately, the same can be said for children being exposed to it. This can even happen on apps like TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat.

This was illustrated in a survey by the Children’s Commissioner for England, which found that 45% of children aged 8 to 17 had seen content online that made them feel uncomfortable, worried or upset.3

Personal Safety

I have mentioned in my previous posts how, ultimately, there is a risk of a child going to meet their ‘online’ friend, and this is the risk that exposes the child to the highest level of danger. Exposure to anything from abduction to coercion could result in devastating consequences for the child and their family, and a lifetime of misery.

Psychological Distress

Cyberbullying, grooming or exposure to explicit content can lead to long-term emotional issues, including anxiety, depression or even PTSD these can become a life sentence for the child and also have a ripple effect on the family and friends around them. Online gangs such as “764” threaten to release sexual information and imagery about a child unless they pay them money or carry out even more depraved acts for them. They have reportedly targeted children as young as 11, not caring about the long-term damage they do.

Unmasking "764": The Online Network Targeting Our Children

Dale (Cyber Safety Guy)

Mar 18

Read full story

Long-term Impact

Children who are exposed to inappropriate materials or harmful online relationships early in their lives could develop unhealthy beliefs regarding self-worth, relationships or consent. In a recent case, a 26-year-old posed as a girl on Snapchat to befriend children aged 10 to 16, manipulating them into sexual activity and causing profound emotional distress. One 12-year-old tragically died by suicide, highlighting the long-term psychological harm that online friendships with strangers can cause.4

What Can You Do to Protect Your Children?

I can tell you from first-hand experience investigating Child Sexual Abuse Material cases that you must do everything in your power to protect your child from these depraved individuals whose goal in life is to destroy the lives of children for their sexual gratification. Many of you will know that I try to write from a non-emotional perspective most of the time, trying to put things in a way that is easiest for the reader to understand, but every time I write, I see the victims, and it is the reason I continue to write.

No matter the harm it has done to me and continues to do, it is nothing in comparison to the harm that has befallen each of those victims, and anything I can do to prevent your child from becoming the next victim is worth the pain.

Teach Safe Online Habits

You should be educating your child about understanding privacy settings, protecting their personal information, how to spot fake profiles and how to report anything they are concerned or suspicious about. Always encourage them to think about how much information they share and who they are talking to online.

Honest & Open Communication

There is a reason this one shows up in pretty much everything I write, it is that important, it is almost a mantra! Your child must always feel comfortable approaching you when something doesn’t seem right and concerns them. If they feel uncomfortable doing so, then they are more likely to hide things from you and that just makes them a perfect target for online predators.

Real-life Connections

I remember a time when you made friends with next door’s children, friends from school or from Saturday rugby, you know, actual in-the-flesh people! It seems to be less popular these days, but certainly something to encourage as it will help to reduce a child's reliance on the online world and the often toxic social media platforms that exist there. It will also help them to develop social confidence and resilience.

There are plenty of other things you can do, getting them involved in local clubs or sporting activities or hobbies, rather than using their devices to keep them quiet. Express an interest in what they are doing online, and they are more likely to chat to you and involve you.

Anyway I have droned on for a bit with this one and am sure if you have reached this point you are bored, but hopefully it has been of some use and as always if you want a chat or have any comments or suggestions please feel free to drop them below or send me a message as nothing is more important that protecting children from the Dark Side!

No, not that one! That’s the good dark side!

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As always, thank you for your support. Please share this across your social media, and if you do have any comments, questions, or concerns, then feel free to reach out to me here or on BlueSky, as I am always happy to spend some time helping to protect children online.

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