International law enforcement agencies, including the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children and the UK's National Crime Agency, are sharing evidence with Scottish detectives to locate abusers. In one active domestic inquiry, an investigator is reviewing nearly a thousand images to track a male suspect accused of directing self-harm remotely. While British authorities have identified roughly 200 cases linked to splinter networks like "The 764" and "CVLT," Scottish investigators have secured one arrest so far.
Key points
Perpetrators exploit children through sextortion and self-harm manipulation specifically…: Perpetrators exploit children through sextortion and self-harm manipulation specifically to achieve online status and peer clout within their networks.
Law enforcement agencies across the globe are tracking related criminal factions operatin…: Law enforcement agencies across the globe are tracking related criminal factions operating under distinct network names such as "The 764" and "CVLT."
Child safety charities regard these coordinated manipulation networks as the single most…: Child safety charities regard these coordinated manipulation networks as the single most critical threat facing minors on the internet today.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
- Published
Detectives in Scotland have joined international law enforcement in targeting online gangs which groom and coerce children into acts of self-harm.
Officers are hunting members of loose online networks of sadists known as "The Com", which mainly targets girls on gaming platforms and social media.
The groups, mostly comprised of teenage and young adult males, have risen in prominence in recent years after cases involving sextortion and hacking, as well as self-harm encouragement.
So far, there has been one arrest in Scotland, while there have been a handful of convictions in England.
The Molly Rose Foundation - a suicide prevention charity helping young people and families victimised by the network - said the groups "represent the gravest risk to children online".
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