Almost 200 suspected paedophiles arrested as police warn of dangers of live-streaming online

'Dangerous offenders' use live video to target children in real-time using tricks, dares or built-in gifts to manipulate them, investigators say

'We need parents and carers to talk to their children about healthy relationships and staying safe online,' say police (Getty)

Sex offenders are increasingly using live-streaming services as an avenue for grooming, according to child protection experts, as police said they arrested 192 people on suspicion of child sex offences in just one week.

“Dangerous offenders are capitalising on the immediacy of contact that live streaming offers, as well as the ability to target children with a large number of comments in real time,” the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

Nearly a third of the week’s arrests related to live streaming, blackmail and grooming, according to Chief Constable Simon Bailey of the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Officers intervened to protect 245 at-risk children, he said.

He added: “We need internet companies to help us stop access to sexual abuse images and videos and prevent abuse happening on their platforms. We need parents and carers to talk to their children about healthy relationships and staying safe online.”

An NCA survey found 84 per cent of parents who responded believed they were alert to the dangers their children faced on the internet.

But more than 30 per cent had not spoken to their children about web safety in the last month.

“Once on these platforms, offenders often use tricks or dares, the offer of online gifts or ‘game points’ and threats, in an attempt to manipulate young people into performing acts involving nudity over webcam,” the NCA said.

Zoe Hilton, head of safeguarding at its child exploitation command, added: “As well as ensuring that privacy settings are in place on the sites and apps they use, it’s so important that we have regular and open conversations with our children about being safe online and encouraging them to speak up if something is worrying them or doesn’t feel right.

“Offenders will take advantage of the fact that young peoples’ inhibitions are lower online so we’re also encouraging parents to talk to their children about what a healthy relationship looks like and how to spot when someone might not be who they say they are.

“Advice and guidance on having these conversations and how to report any concerns can be found on the Thinkuknow website.”