Online Harm Groups – New Sky Investigation into the Com
A major new Sky News investigation has looked at the Com, a loose international network of offenders who groom, manipulate and coerce vulnerable children and young people into self-harm, sexual acts, humiliation and other forms of abuse.
Sky found pathways into these groups across mainstream platforms including Roblox, Discord, TikTok and Telegram. The investigation also reports that the National Crime Agency received just under 1,500 Com-related referrals in the last year, with around 35–50 referrals each week.
I recently highlighted CEOP’s new guidance on online harm groups, this Sky investigation is useful as a reminder of how serious these networks can become and why changes in behaviour, secrecy, fear or extreme online dependency should never be dismissed.
The Sky article contains graphic references to self-harm, suicide and sexual abuse, so do be careful who you share this with.
Link:
Sky News – Inside the Sadistic Network Where Kids’ Pain Is Content