The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has issued a stark warning about online gangs targeting teens, revealing that teenage boys are being drawn into dangerous digital networks that promote violence, child sexual abuse, and fraud.
These loose online communities, known as “Com” networks, have seen a sixfold increase in activity between 2022 and 2024. They thrive on sharing sadistic, misogynistic, and nihilistic content, according to the NCA’s newly published National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime. Analysts estimate millions of such harmful messages are being circulated in the UK and other Western countries.
“These groups are not hidden on the dark web. They operate on the same online platforms young people use every day,” said NCA Director General Graeme Biggar. “Online offenders may feel untouchable, but that is absolutely not the case. Arrests and convictions are already happening in the UK and abroad.”
Digital Abuse Networks Fuel Real-World Harm
The NCA report warns that members of these networks—mainly teenage boys—collaborate and compete to inflict harm both online and offline. Offences include malware attacks, ransomware, blackmail, grooming, sexual exploitation, violent extremism, and child sexual abuse. In many cases, girls as young as 11 have been coerced into self-harm, sexually abusing siblings, or even suicide.
“These are loose, decentralized networks with no single ideology but a shared commitment to causing maximum harm,” said Biggar. He warned that artificial intelligence is accelerating the spread and scale of these crimes.
Some offenders are driven by notoriety or sexual gratification, while others profit from fraud and blackmail. Many use manipulation tactics such as pretending to be in a relationship with their victims to gain control and prevent them from seeking help.
The Manosphere and the Rise of Toxic Online Influence
The warning comes amid increased concern over the influence of the online “manosphere” and incel culture. The popular Netflix show Adolescence has spotlighted the link between toxic online communities and real-world violence, prompting figures such as Keir Starmer and Gareth Southgate to call for action to protect boys from radicalisation.
“These ideologies may appear online, but their impact is being felt in schools, communities, and homes across the UK,” said Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, who called the trend “deeply disturbing” and sharply escalating.
Urgent Calls for Online Safety Reform
Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson, national policing lead for child sexual exploitation and abuse, said undercover officers are already investigating these online gangs. “There is no digital space where offenders can hide. We will find them,” he said.
The NCA is working with police, tech firms, psychologists, and safeguarding experts to understand how young people are being recruited into these networks. Parents are encouraged to speak regularly with their children about their online activity.
Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, highlighted the government’s commitment to using the Online Safety Act to protect vulnerable children. “Tech companies have a duty to make platforms safe. They must do more,” she said.
Burrows criticised regulator Ofcom for failing to introduce specific protections against suicide and self-harm content. “The prime minister must now ensure the Online Safety Act is fit for purpose against these evolving online threats,” he added.
Support is available for victims and concerned individuals. In the UK, children can call Childline at 0800 1111, and adults can contact the NSPCC at 0808 800 5000. Other helplines include NAPAC and Child Helplines International.
