More time at home and easier access to the internet and other social media has been a factor leading to an exponential growth of cybertips coming into the N.C. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, local law enforcement officials say.
According to data from the state ICAC, the average of monthly cybertips for the first four months of this year is 912. The monthly average for all of 2020 was 776 cases. Both of those figures dwarf the 2019 monthly average of 411 cybertips.
A total of 9,308 cyber tips were made for the entire year in 2020. As of April, the 2021 count of 3,646 is nearing the amount for all of 2019 and is set to surpass last yearâs total.