Childcare offenses in the west have risen by 62% since new crime laws were introduced, a children’s charity has revealed.

The NSPCC said tech companies “must be held accountable” after it found the Snapchat messaging app was the most used platform for online grooming, according to police data.

A Gloucestershire Police spokesman described the offenses as “abhorrent” and said it had a “dedicated and committed” team of officers working to “eradicate”.

Avon and Somerset Police said it was “natural” to see an increase in reports following the introduction of the law.

A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said: “We know there is social pressure for young people to share nude images online for a number of reasons, both with people they know and people they don’t know.

“Combined with increased access to phones and devices, young people are now more vulnerable to these types of crimes.”

They added that reports of crime had risen steadily since the offense came into force, with increased awareness of the crime and that the force was set to launch a campaign on behalf of the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership to raise awareness of the harm online.

Avon and Somerset Police said the pandemic was a factor in the increase.

“This may mean more people are online than in previous years, and social media in particular is constantly evolving and moving,” it said.

It said Snapchat was “among the most popular platforms” for kids and teens, along with TikTok, noting that an increase in reports could correspond to “improved parental controls on devices.”

“The introduction of more safeguarding tracks in educational, sporting and community environments and a greater understanding and awareness of what is and is not acceptable,” the force added.

The NSPCC’s Rani Govender said tech companies had “failed to solve the problem”.

“We wish tech companies would really include child safety in the design of their services, rather than relying on children to identify abuse and then report it,” she said.

“Tech companies need to be held accountable for this.”

The NSPCC has called on Ofcom to significantly strengthen the rules social media platforms must follow to tackle child sexual abuse on their products.

It said the regulator currently focuses too much on acting after harm has occurred rather than being proactive.

The charity called on the government to strengthen legislation to ensure child sexual abuse is disrupted in private messages such as on Snapchat and WhatsApp.