Teenage boys are increasingly joining online gangs, where they share sadistic and misogynistic material that fuels crimes such as fraud, violence, and child sexual abuse, according to the director general of the National Crime Agency. These groups exist not just on the dark web but on regular online platforms young people use daily. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned that offenses like cyber-attacks, fraud, extremism, grooming, and blackmailing, as well as serious violence and child sexual abuse, are prevalent within these communities. The “Com” networks, which have seen a sixfold increase in the UK from 2022 to 2024, present a significant and growing concern. Millions of messages related to sexual and physical abuse are being shared within these networks. The NCA’s director general, Graeme Biggar, emphasizes that despite the offenders’ belief in being protected online, they are not; there have already been convictions, and ongoing investigations. The warning comes amid growing concerns about the “manosphere,” highlighted by the impact of the Netflix show “Adolescence,” which discusses the relationship between online “incel” culture and real-life harm. Politicians and figures like Keir Starmer and Gareth Southgate have also expressed their concerns. The NCA’s national strategic assessment reports a diversification of crime threats, including a growing overlap with online radicalization to serious violence and extremism, facilitated by artificial intelligence. Offenders, predominantly teenage boys, share material across social media platforms, targeting those of their own age or younger. Motivation factors include notoriety, status from the harm inflicted, and the depravity of shared content; some offenders are driven by sexual gratification or financial gain. Coercion and extortion tactics are common, leading to victims fearing to come forward and under-reporting of offenses. Undercover online officers are crucial in tackling these networks. Tech companies are urged to ensure their platforms are safe for children to protect the vulnerable and pursue offenders. The NCA, along with police, tech companies, and other agencies, is working to understand how young individuals become offenders and to devise strategies to address this issue. Parents are encouraged to discuss online activities with their children.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/25/online-gangs-teenage-boys-sharing-extreme-material-emerging-threat-uk