The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) have launched a new social media campaign to raise awareness of the dangers children face online.

The campaign, which is funded by the SBNI, uses clips from a BBC documentary about convicted online child groomer Alexander McCartney to educate young people and encourage victims to report abuse.

This comes as the number of online sexual offences against children continues to rise in Northern Ireland. In 2024, there were 2,187 sexual offences against children recorded, with 187 related to grooming and sexual communication. A further 799 offences relating to taking, possessing, sharing, or publishing indecent images of children were also reported.

As part of the campaign, a victim named "Immy" has shared her story of being groomed by convicted serial online groomer Max Hollingsbee. She explained that after he gained her trust, the compliments turned sexual, and he threatened to share intimate images she had sent if she did not comply with his demands. She said: "I felt like the world was collapsing around me. If I hadn't of told my mum, I dread to think what would have happened next."

By being the first to report him, Immy helped to uncover 13 other victims. She hopes her story will encourage others to speak out, adding that a "trusted adult or the police will know what to do to keep you safe."

Detective Chief Inspector Claire Gilbert from the PSNI's Public Protection Branch said that groomers like McCartney and Hollingsbee operate in a similar way, using fake profiles and similar interests to gain a child's trust before moving the conversation to a sexual nature. The police have also highlighted some of the signs that a child may be being groomed, which include:

• Sudden changes in behaviour, such as spending more or less time online

• Spending more time away or going missing from home or school

• Being secretive about how they're spending their time, including online

• Having unexplained gifts, big or small

• Misusing alcohol and/or drugs

• Having a friendship or relationship with a much older person

• Developing sexual health problems

• Using sexual language you wouldn't expect them to know

• Seeming upset, worried, sad, withdrawn, angry, stressed, anxious or depressed

Bernie McNally, Independent Chair of the SBNI, said the campaign is a "vital reminder of the urgent need for education, vigilance and open, honest conversations with our children."

She added that if a child has been made to do something they didn't want to do online, "they are not to blame, they are not in trouble, and they are not alone."

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said the campaign is part of the Executive's Online Safety Strategy, which he said is an important step in "raising awareness of the risks, starting vital conversations, and helping parents, carers and communities take action to keep children safe in the digital world."