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Child sex offenders are escaping prosecution as just one in seven online grooming cases end up in court, shocking new data revealed.

And child safety campaigners warn reported complaints were just the tip of the iceberg, with many children too scared to come forward, so the true scale of the crime remains unknown.

They argued tech giants needed to do more to tackle online grooming to "stop perpetrators in their tracks".

Police forces recorded 7,527 offences of sexual grooming, which included sexual communication with a child, in the year ending last September.

The vast majority of victims were girls, the Home Office said. Yet during the same period, there were only 1,085 convictions for sexual grooming offences.

The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse has estimated that 15% of girls experience some form of sexual abuse before age 16, compared to 5% of boys.

Rachel Seabrook, from The Children's Society, said: "Girls are being groomed and sexually exploited online, often through social media and gaming platforms they use every day.

"Too many victims stay silent because they don't feel supported and rarely see those offenders brought to justice.

"Tech companies need to act faster and do more to keep children safe on their platforms. But adults have a role to play too - at home, in schools and the wider community - so young people can recognise manipulation, and understand what healthy relationships look like."

Rani Govender, from the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, added: "We hear directly from young people through Childline about the devastating impact of online grooming.

"The repercussions can be long-lasting, leaving children battling with anxiety, depression and shame for years.

"That's why action to tackle online grooming needs to start at the very the top.

"Government must do everything in their power to put an end to this horrific crime - and that means holding tech companies accountable for using every tool available to them to stop perpetrators in their tracks.

"This includes making sure platforms urgently invest in technology that makes it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images on their devices."

She added: "It is also incredibly difficult for children to come forward and report this abuse, meaning we don't know the true scale of grooming crimes taking place.

"This reinforces why safety must be built into platform design from the start, preventing the crime from occurring in the first place."

A government spokesperson said: "Child sexual abuse and exploitation is horrific.

"Whether it's online, at home, or within depraved criminal gangs, and this government is using every lever at our disposal to fight it.

"Prosecutions for child sexual abuse are now at their highest ever level, and we're funding a network of undercover officers online and a dedicated police taskforce to disrupt crimes, catch offenders and protect children.

"We are working with tech companies to keep children safe online, including making it impossible for any child in the UK to take, share or view a nude image."