Northamptonshire Police launch online safety campaign after more than 3,000 child offences reported
A new video is being shown to highlight the potential dangers facing children online
Last updated 3rd Jul 2026
Northamptonshire Police has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the dangers children can face online after more than 3,000 internet-related offences involving under-18s were recorded in the county over the past two years.
The force's Eyes Wide Open campaign includes a one-minute video, featuring actors, designed to encourage parents and carers to have conversations with young people about their online activity and make use of safety settings and parental controls.
Figures released by the force show that 3,091 online crimes involving children were reported between June 2024 and May 2026. During the same period, officers recorded 1,148 offences relating to indecent images of children.
Teenagers aged 13 to 15 accounted for almost 40% of all online child offences, making them the age group most at risk.
Detective Superintendent Jen Castle, who leads safeguarding at Northamptonshire Police, said officers were increasingly concerned about the content children were being exposed to online.
"We're seeing a whole range of harms that they accidentally come across, including online grooming and exploitation, coercion, indecent images and exposure to harmful content," she said.
"There are loads of different types of content that children are coming across linked to violence, eating disorders, self-harm and pornography.
"We're increasingly concerned about what children are accessing online and what they're being able to see."
Growing risks
Det Supt Castle said online harm had increased as smartphones, tablets and social media became more deeply embedded in everyday life.
While platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, Discord, Snapchat, Telegram and Roblox were widely used by young people, she said some individuals were exploiting them for criminal purposes.
Officers have also seen a rise in activity on encrypted online groups, where young people can be encouraged to carry out harmful acts to gain acceptance.
"We've seen some really concerning cases where this initiation includes things like self-harm, asking other children to do really harmful things to others, purchasing terror manuals or weapons, dangerous things off the internet." she said.
Det Supt Castle said parents were often unaware of the risks children could face online, even when they appeared to be safely using devices at home.
She highlighted one Northamptonshire Police investigation involving two young sisters who were targeted online by a paedophile while their parents were elsewhere in the house.
The girls were manipulated into live-streaming sexual abuse from their bedroom while their parents were downstairs unaware of what was happening. Police later identified those involved through a digital investigation.
Det Supt Castle said the case showed how quickly online activity can take a dangerous turn.
"What we think is seemingly innocent use can soon turn into something quite dark and we don't always know," she said.
''It's not always strangers''
The force said there was a common misconception that online offenders were always strangers. However, Det Supt Castle said many cases, including sextortion, involve people known to the child, while some offences involve children targeting other children.
"We often see cases where a child believes they are talking to someone they know and trust, or someone they are forming a relationship with, only to be blackmailed after sharing explicit images," she said.
Police data shows a greater proportion of child victims know their offender as an acquaintance, family member or partner than as a stranger.
Warning signs
Parents, carers and teachers are being encouraged to look out for changes in behaviour, distress after using devices, newly formed online friendships or children receiving unexplained gifts.
Det Supt Castle acknowledged the warning signs could be difficult to identify, particularly among teenagers, and said regular conversations can help.
She said: "It's about being open and having those conversations. If you're worried something is wrong, ask them."
''The more we speak to our young people, the more we'll elicit actually what is going on."
She added that children who may have shared images or been manipulated online should not feel ashamed about seeking help.
"Anyone can be manipulated or drawn into these situations. We would strongly encourage them to report it and speak to someone they trust.
"By sharing that information, they might protect someone else. This might be a serial perpetrator that goes around targeting lots of different children."
Raising awareness
The campaign will run across ITVX, social media, websites and outdoor advertising throughout Northamptonshire.
Police hope it will encourage families to discuss online safety and help parents better understand the digital world their children are navigating.
"There will be some parents who haven't grown up in that generation where we've always been on devices," Det Supt Castle said.
"We're just trying to make sure that everybody has the right information. Education is key in this because the more awareness we have, the more resilience we can build."
According to Ofcom research, almost three-quarters of children aged 11 to 17 have seen harmful content online, while 35% reported encountering potentially harmful or inappropriate material simply while scrolling through their feeds.
The force is directing parents and carers to the NSPCC website for advice on parental controls, device settings and online safety.
More information about the campaign is available at www.northants.police.uk/eyeswideopen