THE number of child sexual abuse crimes with an online element recorded by the PSNI has risen by more than 80 per cent in the past three years - to an all time high.
Figures obtained by the NSPCC show there were 308 reports during 2020/2021 compared with 171 in 2017/2018.
The charity last night called on the Northern Ireland Executive to prioritise child online safety by funding and fully implementing the Online Safety Strategy and Action Plan without delay.
Natalie Whelehan from NSPCC Northern Ireland said: "Children should be able to explore the online world safely but instead we are witnessing a dramatic and hugely troubling growth in the scale of online abuse.
"The increase in these figures is truly shocking and shows the need for urgent action to protect children," she said.
"Child safety must be the yardstick against which the actions of our Government are judged and robust measures are needed now to keep children truly safe today and in the future."
