COM Networks – Understanding an Emerging Online Threat
What Are COM Networks?
Community “Com” Networks are transnational virtual networks of criminal actors who collaborate online to inflict harm, coerce victims, and commit a broad range of offences. These networks intersect across child sexual abuse (CSA), cybercrime, and extreme offline violence, though not every case involves all three. [chscp.org.uk]
Most individuals involved, both victims and perpetrators, are predominantly children and teenagers, but adults also participate, often driven by deviant beliefs, notoriety, or financial gain. These groups promote extreme and sadistic behaviour, including severe violence and degrading acts, to build status within their communities. [chscp.org.uk]
COM Networks operate across mainstream digital spaces. While present on many social media and gaming platforms, they primarily organise on Discord and Telegram, where anonymity and rapid content sharing enable harmful activity to flourish. [chscp.org.uk]
Types of COM Networks
Safeguarding evidence identifies three main sub‑groups within COM Networks: [chscp.org.uk]
1. CSA Extortion (“Sextortion Com”)
These networks target primarily girls aged 11–15, grooming and manipulating them into sharing indecent or degrading imagery. Offenders frequently escalate coercion, forcing victims into dangerous acts such as:
- Self-harm or suicide attempts
- Burning or injuring themselves
- Ingesting harmful or toxic substances
Victims may be coerced into recording or livestreaming these acts, which are shared within the network to elevate offenders’ status. The impact is severe, often resulting in hospitalisation, significant trauma, and in some cases, death.
This behaviour aligns with national reports showing that young girls have been coerced into harming themselves or others, sometimes encouraged to attempt suicide. [nationalcr…ncy.gov.uk]
2. Offline / Extremist COM Networks
These groups hold nihilistic or violent extremist mindsets, promoting harm against individuals, property, animals, and in some instances inciting terrorism or serious violence. Members push each other towards ever more extreme content and actions, targeting vulnerable young people and fostering a culture of sadism and misogyny. [asisonline.org]
3. Cyber COM Networks
Cyber‑focused Com groups specialise in a range of technology‑enabled crimes, including:
- Ransomware and malware deployment
- Network intrusions
- Data theft
- “Doxing” and “swatting”
- Social engineering and fraud
These networks frequently target corporations, but also boys aged 14–17, who may be manipulated into participating in cyberattacks or other online offences. Financial gain is a key motivator, alongside status and notoriety. [infosecuri…gazine.com]
Reports show a six‑fold increase in known Com activity between 2022 and 2024, with thousands of offenders and victims involved across Western countries. [asisonline.org]
What Do COM Networks Look Like in Practice?
COM Networks typically demonstrate:
- Highly dynamic, overlapping offending across CSA, cybercrime, and violence
- Youth‑dominated membership, often teenage boys, who collaborate or compete to cause harm
- Use of mainstream platforms, not the dark web, making them accessible to young people
- A culture of coercion, intimidation, and manipulation, encouraging escalating harmful acts
- International reach, with members across Europe, the US, and beyond [theguardian.com]
According to national safeguarding and law enforcement agencies, these networks represent a “deeply concerning” and emerging threat requiring coordinated action from professionals, educators, families, tech companies, and communities alike. [nationalcr…ncy.gov.uk]
Why COM Networks Matter
The scale, severity, and accessibility of COM Networks place vulnerable children at unprecedented risk. Their actions have resulted in:
- Serious psychological and physical harm
- Long‑term trauma
- Significant cyber and financial damage
- Cases of fatal self‑harm linked to coercion
The behaviour seen within these groups is not isolated, but part of a sprawling online ecosystem where extreme exploitation, violence, and criminality are shared, normalised, and encouraged. [theguardian.com]
Safeguarding Implications
Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships should prioritise:
- Early identification of victims and perpetrators
- Awareness‑raising across schools, healthcare, social care, and youth services
- Collaboration with law enforcement and online safety organisations
- Engagement with parents and carers
- Encouraging safe use of platforms like Discord and Telegram
- Training professionals to recognise indicators of CSA extortion and cyber‑enabled coercion
The official safeguarding alert emphasises that all agencies are likely to encounter indicators of COM Network activity and must be equipped to respond effectively. [chscp.org.uk]
Referring concerns about a possible Com Network or Com Activity
As per the National Crime Agency’s official safeguarding alert, professionals who identify potential indicators of a young person(s) being involved in a Com Network should make a referral as per the local child safeguarding procedures.
Further Information
