Grooming is about someone contacting a child under the age of 15 via the internet for a sexual purpose. According to Rickard Finndahl, head of the serious crime group, grooming crimes have become more common lately.

"Those crimes have increased in a very short time," he says.

In the clip, he tells how parents can act to reduce the risk of children being groomed online.

Increases during crises

The Save Kids organization warns that the risk of grooming increases during a crisis, such as during the corona pandemic, when more and more parents feel stressed and children may experience greater anxiety. This, combined with the fact that more people may spend time in front of the computer, tablet or mobile when we are asked to be socially distanced.

"Those who commit these crimes hide behind false identities and accounts and it is a crime that can be difficult to investigate," says Rickard Finndahl.

The contacts with the children take place, for example, in chat and game apps.

In a 2018 Sifo survey, nearly four in ten children responded that they were contacted by an adult for sexual purposes.