CYP Now – MI5 chief warns of a rise in the number of young people being targeted by online extremists

Ken McCallum said almost one in eight people investigated by Homeland Security for involvement in British terrorism are under 18.

“That’s a threefold increase in the last three years,” McCallum said as he delivered a speech update this week (October 8) on the security threats facing Britain.

“Extreme right-wing terrorism in particular strongly targets young people, driven by propaganda that demonstrates a keen understanding of online culture.”

He warned that a minority of ‘anonymous online connections’ targeting young people are ‘leading to deadly actions in the real world’, citing recent convictions of British teenagers.

‘One of them planned to attack a British synagogue, he explained.

“Another posted material that sparked deadly mass shootings in the US. A third made plans to stab people at a music festival and shared terrorist propaganda online.”

Such online exploitation by extremists is one reason why MI5 must continue to monitor online activity, he said, adding that “privacy and exceptional legal access” by its officers “can co-exist”.

“The alternative is that child abusers and terrorists can operate on a large scale without fear of consequences,” he warned.

Police forces are also concerned about the increase in exploitation by criminals targeting young people.

Earlier this month, police in Staffordshire arrested ten people and seized more than £30,000 worth of drugs, cash and weapons, including samurai swords, in raids linked to suspected drug and child exploitation offences.

“The message we want to send is clear: we are determined to make Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent a hostile environment for those who think it is acceptable to exploit children and young people,” said Chief Inspector Amy Martin.

Meanwhile, officers in Merseyside have been raising awareness among local business owners on how to spot signs of child exploitation.

“The aim of this operation is to work with businesses within our communities to raise awareness of what child exploitation is and provide advice on how to spot the signs and file a report,” said Detective Sgt. Natalie Charlesworth from Merseyside’s Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation Team. .

Signs include a young person having more than one phone, carrying a large sum of cash, missing school, hanging out with people older than them and buying things they normally couldn’t afford, she warned.