Police teams join forces to protect women from web-fuelled crime

Young men and boys fuelled by "strongly misogynistic" online material are hunting for vulnerable young women to exploit on websites such as eating disorder and suicide forums, say senior police officers.

- Vikram Dodd

The threat from young men wanting to carry out harm is so serious that counter-terrorism officers are joining the National Crime Agency in the hunt for them, fearing they could go on to attack or kill.

Britain's head of counter-terrorism, assistant commissioner Matt Jukes, said that a joint taskforce will be set up between his force and the NCA to tackle those fixated on violence online - in what he dubbed a "decisive moment".

Jukes said the new pairing would look for those consuming online material about killings or sexual abuse. Men who may go on to plot school shootings and other mass attacks, as well as those who encourage young women and girls to harm themselves, will also fall under their remit. The new taskforce will also tackle the so-called com networks - online communities - which counter-terrorism policing (CTP) and the NCA say involve hundreds of boys and young men. They will also hunt for those viewing material that incites sexual abuse.