Some people in a position of trust are committing sex crimes against youngsters in Kent, a children's charity has warned.

NSPCC research found 57 offences committed against 16 and 17-year-olds by adults who were meant to be looking after them between July 2013 and June 2017.

Position of Trust laws are in place to protect teenagers from predators working as teachers, care staff, youth justice workers and other staff but do not apply to other adults working with young people.

Scroll down for audio

However, a change in the law was announced last month by sports minister and MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Tracey Crouch, saying the protection would extend to cover sports coaches.

The existing loophole means adults with regular contact with children in extra-curricular activities are able to groom them from a young age.

NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said: "It’s hard to believe that the law protects 16- and 17-year-old children from being preyed upon in the classroom, but not on the sports pitch or on the stage.

"We know that some adult youth workers spend years grooming young people and then, as soon as their 16th birthday comes around, they target them for sex.

"Extending Position of Trust laws to sports coaches is an important step in the right direction which will help protect more children from this kind of abuse.

"But to stop there would be a missed opportunity.

"Government must close this loophole to protect children from other adults who use their authority to exploit them."

Nationally, the number of offences rose to 290 from July 2016 to June 2017, up from 159 three years ago. Nearly 1,000 crimes were recorded from July 2013 to June 2017.

Detective Superintendent Susie Harper said: "Tackling child abuse is one of the highest priorities for Kent Police and we work closely with the NSPCC, local authorities and other partner agencies for this purpose.

"Sex offences against children are abhorrent and we believe remain under-reported. We are therefore always keen to highlight successful convictions to demonstrate to victims that they will be believed and provided with all the support they may need throughout the investigation.

"We also recognise that the abuse is not historic to the victims and they are dealing with the challenges daily even when the abuse stops, so with partner agencies and charitable organisations we will work after any report or conviction to support the survivors.

"There have been a number of high-profile national investigations in recent years that have given young people the confidence to speak up about the crimes committed against them, which has contributed to the increased number of reports to police.

"We all have a responsibility to safeguard those who are vulnerable to sexual abuse so it is important that members of the public contact us if they believe a child is at risk. Together we can tackle and stop the abuse and ensure our communities are a safe place for children to live, be happy, thrive and reach their full potential."