Crimes Involving Video Games
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/25/008230/L
Version Date: 09/06/2025
- For 2024
a. 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.
b. The category of offence under which the report was logged - for example sexual activity of a child under 13
2. For 2023
a. 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.
b. The category of offence under which the report was logged - for example sexual activity of a child under 13
3. For 2022
a. 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.
b. The category of offence under which the report was logged - for example sexual activity of a child under 13
The Performance & Analysis Department have provided the following information.
Data Source
Crimes recorded on crime information system – NICHE
Data Processing:
Qlikview UNIFI - Crime and Enquiries Freetext Search 2022 (to14/11/2022)
Keyword searches for
("*Roblox*" or "*Fortnite*" or "*Minecraft*" or "*FIFA*")
("*world of Warcraft*" or "*Clash of Clans*")
Duplicates removed on Crime/Enquiry Ref
Qliksense Crimes & Outcomes Report
Filtered on Crimed Date: 01/01/2022 - 31/12/2024
Keyword searches for
*Roblox* *Fortnite* *Minecraft* *FIFA*
*world of Warcraft* *Clash of Clans*
Qliksense MO Text Search Report
Filtered on Occurrence Date Created: 15/11/2022 - 31/12/2024
Keyword searches for
("*Roblox*" or "*Fortnite*" or "*Minecraft*" or "*FIFA*")
("*world of Warcraft*" or "*Clash of Clans*")
Caveats/Limitations
- No crimes/Cancelled Crimes included
- The presence of a keyword only indicates its presence in the MO or Summary text and not its relevance to a crime
- Performance and Analysis are unable to search the Occurrence Enquiry Logs (OEL's) as there is no Qliksense equivalent of the Crime and Enquiries FreeText Search report after 14/11/2022.
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Crime and Enquiries |
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|
Using the key words ‘Roblox’, ‘Fortnite’, ‘Clash of Clans’, ‘world of Warcraft’, ‘Minecraft’ and ‘FIFA’, the number of crimes reported between 01/01/2022 -14/11/2022 in Devon and Cornwall involving online computer games by Offence Description and Number of Reported Crimes |
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|
Offence Description |
Number of Reported Crimes |
|
AGGRAVATED BURGLARY - DWELLING |
1 |
|
ASSAULT / ILL-TREAT / NEGLECT / ABANDON A CHILD / YOUNG PERSON TO CAUSE UNNECESSARY SUFFERING / INJURY |
1 |
|
ASSAULT A FEMALE 13 AND OVER BY PENETRATION WITH PART OF BODY / A THING - SOA 2003 |
2 |
|
ASSAULT A GIRL UNDER 13 BY PENETRATION WITH A PART OF YOUR BODY / A THING - SOA 2003 |
1 |
|
ASSAULT A GIRL UNDER 13 BY TOUCHING - SOA 2003 |
4 |
|
ASSAULT A PERSON THEREBY OCCASIONING THEM ACTUAL BODILY HARM |
3 |
|
ASSAULT BY BEATING |
7 |
|
ATTEMPT RAPE OF A BOY UNDER THE AGE OF 13 - SOA 2003 |
1 |
|
ATTEMPT ROBBERY |
2 |
|
BREACH A NON-MOLESTATION ORDER - FAMILY LAW ACT 1996 |
1 |
|
BURGLARY DWELLING - WITH INTENT TO STEAL |
1 |
|
CAUSE / INCITE A GIRL 13 TO 15 TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY - OFFENDER 18 OR OVER - PENETRATION |
1 |
|
CAUSE / INCITE A GIRL UNDER 13 TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY - NO PENETRATION |
3 |
|
COMMON ASSAULT |
3 |
|
DISTRIBUTE AN INDECENT PHOTOGRAPH / PSEUDO-PHOTOGRAPH OF A CHILD |
2 |
|
ENGAGE IN SEXUAL COMMUNICATION WITH A CHILD |
3 |
|
HARASSMENT - BREACH OF CIVIL INJUNCTION |
1 |
|
OFFENDER 18 OR OVER CAUSE / INCITE A BOY 13 TO 15 TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY - NO PENETRATION - SOA 2003 |
1 |
|
OFFENDER 18 OR OVER ENGAGE IN NON PENETRATIVE SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH GIRL 13 TO 15 - SOA 2003 |
1 |
|
OFFENDER 18 OR OVER ENGAGE IN PENETRATIVE SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH A GIRL 13 TO 15 - SOA 2003 |
1 |
|
OFFENDER OF ANY AGE CAUSE / INCITE A BOY UNDER 13 TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY - PENETRATION - SOA 2003 |
1 |
|
OFFENDER UNDER 18 CAUSE / INCITE A GIRL UNDER 13 TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY - NO PENETRATION - SOA 2003 |
4 |
|
OFFENDER UNDER 18 ENGAGE IN NON PENETRATIVE SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH A GIRL UNDER 13 - SOA 2003 |
1 |
|
PERMIT TAKING OF INDECENT PHOTO / PSEUDO-PHOTOGRAPH OF A CHILD |
1 |
|
POSSESS INDECENT PHOTOGRAPH / PSEUDO-PHOTOGRAPH OF A CHILD |
2 |
|
POSSESS TO SHOW / DISTRIBUTE - INDECENT PHOTOGRAPH / PSEUDO-PHOTOGRAPH OF A CHILD |
2 |
|
RAPE A GIRL AGED 13 / 14 / 15 - SOA 2003 |
4 |
|
RAPE A GIRL UNDER 13 |
1 |
|
RAPE A WOMAN 16 YEARS OF AGE OR OVER - SOA 2003 |
1 |
|
RAPE OF A BOY UNDER 13 - SOA 2003 |
1 |
|
SEND LETTER / COMMUNICATION / ARTICLE CONVEYING A THREATENING MESSAGE |
1 |
|
SEXUAL ASSAULT ON A FEMALE |
2 |
|
STALKING INVOLVING FEAR OF VIOLENCE |
1 |
|
STALKING WITHOUT FEAR / ALARM / DISTRESS |
1 |
|
TAKE AN INDECENT PHOTOGRAPH / PSEUDO-PHOTOGRAPH OF A CHILD |
1 |
|
THEFT - OTHER - INCLUDING THEFT BY FINDING |
1 |
|
THEFT IN DWELLING OTHER THAN AN AUTOMATIC MACHINE OR METER |
1 |
|
USE THREATENING / ABUSIVE / INSULTING WORDS / BEHAVIOUR WITH INTENT TO CAUSE FEAR OF / PROVOKE UNLAWFUL VIOLENCE |
1 |
|
Total |
67 |
MO Text Search
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Using the key words ‘Roblox’, ‘Fortnite’, ‘Clash of Clans’, ‘world of Warcraft’, ‘Minecraft’ and ‘FIFA’, the number of crimes reported between 15/11/2022* -31/12/2024 in Devon and Cornwall involving online computer games by Offence Description and Number of Reported Crimes |
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|
Offence |
2022* |
2023 |
2024 |
Total |
|
Action Fraud |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Assault by beating (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm ABH (Section 47) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Cause / incite a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration - offender under 18 (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration (recordable) |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Engage in sexual communication with a child (recordable) |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Harassment - put in fear of violence (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Have an obscene article for publication for gain (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Occurence Not Recorded As Crime |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Possess indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Rape of a Male aged under 16 (Sec 1, SOA 2003) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Send communication threatening death or serious harm |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Sending indecent / grossly offensive communications etc with intent to cause distress or anxiety |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Stalking involving serious alarm / distress (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Take / make / distribute indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Theft All Other |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
Theft from a motor vehicle (recordable) |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Theft from shops and stalls (Shoplifting) |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Total |
0 |
7 |
21 |
28 |
Crimes & Outcomes
|
Using the key words ‘Roblox’, ‘Fortnite’, ‘Clash of Clans’, ‘world of Warcraft’, ‘Minecraft’ and ‘FIFA’, the number of crimes reported between 01/01/2022 -31/12/2024 in Devon and Cornwall involving online computer games by Offence Description and Number of Reported Crimes |
||||
|
Offence Description |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
Total |
|
Action Fraud |
0 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
Assault by beating (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Breach of conditions of injunction against harassment. Protection from Harassment Act 1997 Sec 3. |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Cause / incite a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration - offender under 18 (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration (recordable) |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
|
Engage in sexual communication with a child (recordable) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
Harassment - put in fear of violence (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Have an obscene article for publication for gain (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Offender 18 or over cause / incite a boy 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration - SOA 2003 (recordable) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Offender under 18 cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration - SOA 2003 (recordable) |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Rape of a Male aged under 16 (Sec 1, SOA 2003) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Send by public communication network an offensive / indecent / obscene / menacing message / matter (recordable) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Send communication threatening death or serious harm |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Sending indecent / grossly offensive communications etc with intent to cause distress or anxiety |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Sexual assault on a female (recordable) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Stalking involving serious alarm / distress (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Take / make / distribute indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Theft All Other |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Theft from a motor vehicle (recordable) |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Total |
9 |
8 |
16 |
33 |