Europol issued an alert on Thursday about the growth of groups on the Internet dedicated to “extremely violent child abuse” and warned that these communities seek to “normalize violence and corrupt minors,” by spreading ideologies that inspire “mass shootings, bomb attacks and other crimes.”

The European police coordination agency issued what is known as an “Intelligence Notification” to draw attention to the increase of these communities that “recruit both aggressors and victims” globally and function as “sects led by charismatic figures who manipulate and deceive” their followers to “control” them.

These groups, the agency explains, seek to “normalize violence and corrupt minors, promoting the collapse of modern society through terror, chaos and violence, and spreading ideologies that inspire mass shootings, bomb attacks and other crimes.”

The hierarchy within these groups is based on “the amount of shared content, where the most active members get higher ranks” and participants exchange “extremely violent material, including bloody images, animal cruelty, child sexual exploitation and depictions of murders,” said the Hague-based agency.

The aggressors use “video game platforms, live streaming services and social networks” to identify and attract their victims, and focus especially on vulnerable young people, in particular children between the ages of 8 and 17, including those who belong to the LGBTQ+ community, racial minorities or young people with mental health problems.

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“In some cases, the perpetrators infiltrate online self-help or support communities, where victims seek help for their emotional problems,” he says.

The leaders of these communities use “various manipulation tactics” to attract their victims and “force them to generate explicit sexual content, self-harm, harm others or even commit murder.”

Among the methods identified by Europol is what is known as “love bombing”, which is explained as “extreme expressions of affection, understanding and kindness to gain the trust” of the minor.

As the relationship progresses, they collect sensitive personal data of the victim, before moving to “the phase of exploitation”, in which they force the minor to produce sexual content or commit acts of violence.

If the victim does not want to obey, the aggressors “threaten” to share the explicit images or videos with family, friends or on social networks.

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“Once trapped in this network, minors become even more vulnerable. Detecting these criminal activities in time is crucial,” Europol warns, sharing a list of “warning signs” in children.

The agency asks to pay attention to, among others, its activities on the Internet (interaction with unknown contacts, use of encrypted communications or exposure to worrying content), social isolation, emotional distress, interest in violent or harmful content, change in language, use of unknown symbols and concealment of physical signs of damage.

“The perpetrators spread harmful ideologies, often addressing our young people. These networks radicalize in the shadows, inciting them to bring violence to the real world. Awareness is our first line of defense. Families, educators and communities must be attentive and provide young people with critical thinking skills to resist online manipulation,” added Europol Director Catherine De Bolle.

De Bolle considered international cooperation “key” and urged to continue sharing information and holding perpetrators accountable, in order to “fight these dangerous communities and protect future generations from extremism and crime.”

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