From 3 April, anyone aged 18 or older who sends a child aged under 16 emails, text messages, letters or other forms of on- or offline communication with sexual intent could be prosecuted.
Justice Secretary Elizabeth Truss said mobile phones and social media had made children more vulnerable to "those who prey on their innocence and exploit their trust".
"This new offence will help to us tackle the early stages of grooming, and nip in the bud those targeting children online or through text messages," she said.
NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless thanked Truss for "doing the right thing", and said the new law would "give police in England and Wales the powers they need to protect children from online grooming, and to intervene sooner to stop abuse before it starts".
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