Tokyo- A record 1,736 youngsters under 18 in Japan fell victim to crimes through social networking services in 2016, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

The total was up by 84 from the previous year, marking the highest level since the statistics were first compiled in 2008. It hit a record high for the fourth straight year.

The number of victims through the use of Twitter was the largest at 446, up by 220 from the previous year, according to the NPA. This means that about one out of every four victims fell prey to crimes through the use of Twitter.

Among users of the "Gyaruru" chat application, victims totaled 136, the second largest in the 2016 tally. But the number decreased by 67 from the previous year.

Victims who used another communications app, Line, came third at 124, up by nine.

The number of victims excluding those who fell prey to crimes through Twitter was down 9.5 percent from the previous year.

Most of the overall victims were girls.

Of the total, 16-year-olds accounted for 25.9 percent, 17-year-olds 24.2 percent, 15-year-olds 18.6 percent and 14-year-olds 17.5 percent.

The youngest victim was 9.

Some 90 percent of the total victims used smart phones.

Of the victims whose use or non-use of filtering software for preventing access to inappropriate websites is known, 88.2 percent did not use such software.

A total of 425 youngsters were victimized by prostitution, up 66, and 563 by child pornography, up 56. Thirteen children were raped and 20 were abducted. (Jiji Press)