MORE than one online grooming offence per week was reported to police in the year since new online laws were brought in.

The new crime of sexual communication with a child came into force in April 2017 following an NSPCC campaign, and in the first year a total of 60 offences were recorded by Essex Police.

Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram were the sites used most often in Essex and nationwide.

NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said: “These numbers are far higher than we had predicted, and every single sexual message from an adult to a child can have a huge impact for years to come.”

The charity is now working lobbying the government to create strict laws to regulate social networks.

He added: “Social networks have been self-regulated for a decade and it’s absolutely clear that children have been harmed as a result.

“I urge Digital Secretary Matt Hancock to follow through on his promise and introduce safety rules backed up in law and enforced by an independent regulator with fining powers.

“Social networks must be forced to design extra protections for children, including algorithms to detect grooming to prevent abuse from escalating.”