Police in Durham Region are once again warning parents and guardians about “The Com,” an online group of predators that they say is targeting children in the area through popular social media and gaming platforms.
Short for “The Community,” investigators say the group uses grooming, manipulation, coercion, and intimidation to exploit young people, “which can lead to violent and/or criminal behaviour.”
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“Offenders often build trust, create secrecy through fear or shame, and pressure victims into harmful or unsafe activities,” police said in statement issued Tuesday.
Children as young as eight years old are among those who have been targeted on apps and platforms like Discord, Telegram, Snapchat, Roblox, Minecraft, Twitch, and Steam, according to police.
In a news release, police outlined how the group victimizes its targets, including:
- Building trust through friendship or romantic attention
- Manipulating youth using fear, guilt, or intimidation
- Coercing victims into harmful or unsafe activities, including:
- Creating or sharing inappropriate and exploitative images or videos
- Engaging in self-harm or harm toward others or animals
- Displaying concerning usernames, symbols, or messages
- Coercing children to participate in crimes—such as hoax 9‑1‑1 calls (swatting), online attacks, or sharing harmful content—often without realizing the seriousness of what they’re being manipulated into.
- Forcing compliance through threats such as exposing private information, doxing, or swatting.
Police have not released descriptions of any suspects who may be involved in the group. No arrests have been made at this point, police confirmed to CTV News Toronto in an email.
Warning follows threats at Pickering school in January
This is the second such warning about “The Com” this year and follows a threat directed at a Pickering School in January, which police previously said may have been connected to the group.
William Dunbar Public School, near Dixie Road and Finch Avenue, was placed under lockdown for hours on Jan. 27 after a threat was made to the school over the phone.
In a letter to families at the time, Durham Regional Police Chief Peter Moreira did not say exactly how “The Com” may have been involved in threats against the school, but said preliminary findings indicated the incident was connected to an “emerging online threat affecting children and youth.”
Durham police previously said they did not believe there was any immediate public safety risk to students, staff, or the school community following the threat, but added an increased police presence around the school out of an abundance of caution.
On Tuesday, police said they have recently responded to an undisclosed number of incidents in the community that are believed to be linked to “The Com.”
As such, investigators are encouraging parents and guardians to watch for “patterns or clusters” of the following behaviours:
- Use of encrypted apps (e.g., Discord, Telegram) without parental knowledge
- Withdrawal, secrecy, mood changes, or declining academic performance
- Increased or secretive use of phones or electronic devices
- Interest in extreme or harmful online ideologies
- New online contacts your child seems unusually attached to—or afraid of
“While one of these signs may not be of concern, multiple indicators together may warrant attention,” police said.
Anyone with information connected to the investigation, or who notices any concerning online activity or individuals on online platforms who may pose a safety risk, are asked to contact police at 1-888-579-1520.
