FOI 664/25
REQUEST
- For 2024
- 1. Using the key words ‘Roblox’, ‘Fortnite’, ‘Clash of Clans’, ‘world of Warcraft’, ‘Minecraft’ and ‘FIFA’, the number of reports of crimes involving online computer games.
- The category of offence under which the report was logged - for example sexual activity of a child under 13
- For 2023
- 1. Using the key words ‘Roblox’, ‘Fortnite’, ‘Clash of Clans’, ‘world of Warcraft’, ‘Minecraft’ and ‘FIFA’, the number of reports of crimes involving online computer games.
- The category of offence under which the report was logged - for example sexual activity of a child under 13
- For 2022
- 1. Using the key words ‘Roblox’, ‘Fortnite’, ‘Clash of Clans’, ‘world of Warcraft’, ‘Minecraft’ and ‘FIFA’, the number of reports of crimes involving online computer games.
- The category of offence under which the report was logged - for example sexual activity of a child under 13
RESPONSE
We conducted a keyword search on our crime and incident recording system (NICHE RMS) for all crimes recorded where the keywords Roblox’, ‘Fortnite’, ‘Clash of Clans’, ‘world of Warcraft’, ‘Minecraft’ and ‘FIFA’ were used in the summary within the requested time frame.
Please see below broken down by year.
|
Year |
Total |
|
2022 |
21 |
|
2023 |
10 |
|
2024 |
18 |
|
Grand Total |
49 |
| Year | |||
| Home office Code | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Causing/inciting a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, offender under 18; no penetration (SOA 2003 S10&13) | 1 | ||
| Causing/inciting a female child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, off under 18, no penetration (SOA2003 S10&13) | 1 | ||
| Causing/inciting a male child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, no penetration (SOA2003 S8) | 2 | ||
| Common assault and battery (Criminal Justice Act 1988 Sec 39.) | 1 | 1 | |
| Engage in sexual communication with a child. Section 15A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Owner or Person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in any place in England or Wales (whether or not a public place) injuring any person or assistance dog. | 1 | ||
| Protection from Harassment Act Sec 2. (S.2 Protection from Harassment Act 1997) | 2 | 2 | |
| Pursue course of conduct which amounts to stalking. Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (Protection of Freedom Act 2012) | 1 | ||
| Racially or Religiously aggravated Harassment or Stalking WITHOUT violence (S32(1)(a) and (4) Crime and Disorder Act | 1 | ||
| Rape of a female aged under 16 (S1pt SOA 2003) | 1 | ||
| Rape of a female child under 13 by a male (S.5(pt) SOA 2003) | 1 | ||
| Rape of a male aged 16 or over (S.1(pt) SOA 2003) | 1 | ||
| Sending letters etc with intent to cause distress or anxiety. Malicious Communications Act 1988 Sec 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Sexual assault on a male child under 13 (S.7 SOA 2003) | 1 | ||
| Stalking involving serious alarm / distress. Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (Protection of Freedom Act 2012) | 1 | ||
| Take/make/distribute indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of children (Protection of Children Act 1978 S1,6) | 5 | 1 | |
| Theft from a motor vehicle | 1 | ||
| Theft from shops and stalls | 1 | ||
| Theft if not classified elsewhere (Theft non specific) | 1 | ||
| Threaten a person with an offensive weapon / bladed article / corrosive substance in a private place - Offensive Weapons Act 2019 Sec 52(1) & (6). | 1 | ||
| Threats to destroy/damage property | 1 | ||
| Grand Total | 21 | 10 | 18 |
Please note that this data has been gathered by searching our records management system for offences containing the keywords Roblox’, ‘Fortnite’, ‘Clash of Clans’, ‘world of Warcraft’, ‘Minecraft’ and ‘FIFA in the relevant time period. The results retrieved are dependent on how the information has been entered onto the system. As such, the information provided should not be considered statistically accurate and/or definitive and therefore, care should be taken when using this data for any further statistical, analytical or evaluative purposes.