UK Charity Sounds Alarm Over 'Chilling' Global Hacking Network Preying on Children
A leading UK online safety charity has issued a stark public warning about a dangerous hacking community known as the Com, which is systematically targeting vulnerable children for sexual abuse, self-harm, and suicide. The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF), established by the family of Molly Russell, a British teenager who took her own life in 2017 after viewing harmful content online, is calling for an immediate and coordinated global response from governments, regulators, law enforcement, and technology companies.
A Sprawling Ecosystem of Harm
The warning follows the publication of a detailed report by the online risk consultancy Resolver, in partnership with the MRF. The report describes the Com as a loose but sprawling ecosystem of overlapping internet cultures, subcultures, networks, and claimed ideologies, operating within a vast framework of harm. Law enforcement agencies have used terms such as nihilistic violent extremism and sadistic online exploitation to characterise its activities.
"The growing threat posed by Com networks is the most chilling and urgent threat to children online today and it requires a swift and comprehensive response," stated Andy Burrows, MRF’s chief executive. "These groups prey on children’s vulnerabilities to coerce and groom girls on gaming and messaging platforms, inflicting appalling harm and cruelty including acts of self-harm, livestreamed abuse or even suicide."
Demographics and Global Hotspots
The analysis reveals that the Com is largely composed of individuals aged between 11 and 25 years old, who often perceive themselves as socially excluded and are seeking a sense of community. There is no formal recruitment process; members typically gather on platforms like Discord and Telegram, sharing interests in online gore, illegal sexual content, gaming, cryptocurrencies, and meme culture.
Particular concentrations of Com activity have been identified in the United States, Russia, and Brazil. The network's reach is global, with its psychological, sexual, and physical harms capable of escalating rapidly, sometimes within mere hours of initial contact with a victim.
Methods of Exploitation and Victim Profile
Com members actively infiltrate online communities, including those dedicated to self-harm and eating disorders, to identify potential victims. They have even been known to create fake support groups for this predatory purpose. Victims are targeted across gaming platforms, livestreams, direct messaging apps, and social networks.
Female victims are highly prized targets for the predominantly heterosexual male members and are commonly subjected to sexual violence. Male victims, conversely, are often subjected to intense psychological harm and encouragement towards suicide. Alarmingly, the report notes that some victims of Com abuse eventually become perpetrators themselves.
The majority of victims at the most extreme end of the abuse are children and young people in vulnerable situations. Factors increasing vulnerability include economic disadvantage, neurodivergence, and a previous history of self-harm or abuse.
The Three Facets of the Com
In line with other cybersecurity experts, the report categorises the Com into three sometimes-interlinked groups:
- Sadism Com: Predators who carry out sexual extortion, grooming, and child sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Terror Com: Promotes far-right or nihilistic ideologies.
- Finance Com: Hacks large companies and other Com constituencies for financial gain. This group includes collectives like Scattered Spider, linked to hacks against British retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods.
The report states that individuals within the Com pursue "power and infamy" by committing extreme harms within "clout-based" social groups that span various online platforms.
Law Enforcement Response and a Call to Action
Law enforcement agencies in both the UK and the US have already issued public warnings regarding the Com. The threats it poses are vast, ranging from child sexual exploitation and abuse to extortion, self-harm, and severe harassment.
Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, emphasised the government's resolve: "We will use every power we have to hunt down the perpetrators, shut these disgusting networks down, and protect every child at risk."
The MRF and Resolver's report serves as a critical call to action, urging a unified international effort to combat this pervasive and evolving threat to young people's safety in the digital age.
