Over 60pc students encountered online sexual grooming, says police chief

A survey conducted by police revealed that more than 60 percent of Secondary One to Four students had experienced online grooming, according to the Commissioner of Police Siu Chak-yee. 

The police chief noted that the interviewed students had received explicit messages, been asked for nude photos, or even been lured into meetings for sexual exploitation.

The survey also indicated that factors such as using social media at a younger age, spending more time online, and having multiple social media accounts significantly increase the risk of falling victim to online grooming.

Meanwhile, Siu highlighted that 94 out of 1,359 recorded child sexual abuse cases recorded last year involved online elements, accounting for 7 percent of the total.

He added that police received reports of 10 online grooming cases, including two rape cases involving victims as young as 12 years old, in just the first two months of this year. 

Police also warned that online grooming can occur between individuals of the same sex, emphasizing a case where a 15-year-old boy was lured through a same-sex dating app.

Separately, the police have newly launched an eight-volume “Child Protection Comic Book” series, aimed at educating children and teenagers on how to identify risks and protect themselves.

The comic books address topics such as online child sexual grooming, prevention of child abuse, naked chat, and court trial procedures, which will be distributed to over 1,500 schools, public libraries, and non-profit organizations across the city.