Child sexual exploitation cases spiked in pandemic
DETECTIVES in Hull say the Covid-19 pandemic has seen a spike in online child sexual exploitation across the region.
Launching a campaign yesterday aimed at raising public awareness over the issue, they believe successive lockdowns encouraged more predatory online grooming.
Figures published by Humberside Police show a 25 per cent increase in recorded crimes of online child sexual exploitation (CSE) between October 2020 and the end of September this year compared with the same 12 months up to September 2018.
The highest monthly totals for reported online CSE crimes were recorded in February and March this year during the postchristmas lockdown.
In February, police received a new report of an online CSE crime every two days. Overall, 118 CSE crimes were recorded by the force over the past 12 months.
Officers hope the “What Do You See?” campaign will not only spur people to report suspicious behaviour outside in the street but also unusual online activity by young people they might know.
Detective Inspector Paul Welton, who heads the force’s CSE Investigation Team, based at Clough Road in Hull, said: “Lockdown provided the perfect cover for predators because more children were spending more time on social media than ever before.
“With this campaign, we are asking people to get in touch if they spot something that isn’t quite right, whether it’s out in a public place or online because it’s still an area we struggle with in terms of intelligence coming in.
“We find that many young people don’t see themselves as victims when someone is grooming them online when, in fact, they are being deliberately coerced.
“The safety of these young people often rests with their friends, so we are asking them to report it to someone they trust, not necessarily the police, any concerns they might have about someone they know and we will do all we can to make sure that that young person is safe.
“Very often, we see someone who has been part of a larger gang or group being picked off by a predator who steers them away from friends.
“If that starts to happen, we need to hear from young people in that group who might have noticed someone becoming more distant or dropping off the radar.”
He said keeping pace with new social media trends was also a challenge with youngsters increasingly using more diverse messaging mobile phone apps.
“Advances in technology make it easier for grooming to happen but it’s never too late to raise a concern if there is a suspicion that something isn’t right.
“Luckily, there is a lot of expertise in my team when it comes to technology but we are always learning.”
The force’s CSE investigators work closely with council social workers workers and other agencies supporting young people over the issue as well as reports of missing children.
Detective Sergeant Stuart Fox said there was often a crossover between the two.
“Children who go missing from home regularly are usually at increased risk of being exploited, either sexually or criminally by gangs involved in county lines drug-dealing, simply because of where they end up and who they end up with,” he said.
“By asking people to stop for a moment and question what they see in this campaign, we are hoping they will provide us with that little bit of extra information – an address or a name – because not every offender fits the typical profile of a predator.”