When dating apps turn dangerous

Women looking for love online are being warned of a sinister side to dating apps, with new evidence that abusers may try to groom them to gain access to their children. 

Research by the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, hosted by the University of Edinburgh and University of South Wales, finds men who sexually offend against children are nearly four times more likely to use dating sites than non-offenders. 

The unit found nearly two thirds (66%) of men who sexually offended against children used dating platforms – and over one in five (22%) used them daily. 

The report, Swipe Wrong, is part of a broader investigation into the multi-billion-dollar industry of child sexual exploitation and abuse, which financially benefits perpetrators, organised crime and even mainstream companies.

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