The NSPCC has said the data it has obtained from police forces showing an almost doubling of online grooming crimes in the past eight years is "deeply alarming"

A four year old boy was among the victims of online grooming, according to figures which revealed such offences have hit a record high.

The NSPCC said the statistics it had obtained from police forces showing an almost doubling of online grooming crimes in the past eight years was "deeply alarming". A new offence of sexual communication with a child was introduced in England and Wales in April 2017, to tackle groomers who target under-16s through mobile phones and social media.

The offence has been recorded in Northern Ireland since 2015 while a similar offence was introduced in Scotland in 2010. Figures obtained by the NS

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