77 suspected paedophiles held as police find 30million abuse images

Children as young as three among 500 victims of extortion and rape

‘Internet does not offer anonymity’

HUNDREDS of child abuse victims have been identified in a national online sex crime crackdown.

Police Scotland seized more than 30million indecent images involving youngsters, while 77 people have been charged.

The charges include rape, sharing indecent images of children and grooming for sexual purposes.

Of the 523 victims and potential victims, some as young as three, 122 have been referred to child protection services.

Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said some of the material had involved infants, and described the online grooming of children and sharing of indecent images as a ‘national threat’.

Operation Lattise, which involved 134 separate investigations, took place between June 6 and July 15.

Police said victims had been found after the homes of 83 people were searched and 547 computers and other devices seized.

Almost 400 charges have been brought so far, including indecent communication with children, sexual extortion, possession of a firearm, bestiality and drug offences.

Of those arrested, six are registered sex offenders and four people were regarded as being in a ‘position of trust’. One suspect was found to have been communicating with more than 100 children.

Ten million images depicting child abuse were found on one computer. Police said it would take four full-time officers six months just to view all the images uncovered.

Mr Graham, who is in charge of major crime and public protection at Police Scotland, said the force had uncovered images from around the globe, including the live streaming of sexual acts being carried out on children.

He added: ‘Child sexual abuse, including exploitation, takes place solely because of decisions made on the parts of abusers and we know that child sexual abuse is a national threat.

‘The reality is that it is happening not only across Scotland but increasingly across the world to children. We are not talking about teens sending pictures of each other, we are talking about in some cases infants and babies being sexually abused.

‘The impact of online child abuse can be wide-ranging but has long-lasting, life-changing effects... we might be talking about the sexual assault of children, about the rape and sexual torture of a child.

‘We’re talking about the grooming of a child for sexual purposes, people who have an intention to meet children and commit serious offences against them.

‘There’s an evolving and deeply concerning threat posed by predatory sex offenders, given that these offences can be perpetrated online at the touch of a button.’

Police officers assessed more than 100,000 online chat logs as part of the investigation, focusing on sites and social media platforms used mainly by youngsters.

Mr Graham warned that children in developing nations were at increasing risk and continued: ‘I’ve got a simple message for perpetrators – if you engage in this type of activity, you will be caught.

‘The internet doesn’t offer anonymity and every contact through some sort of online interaction does leave a trace, which can ultimately be directed back to an individual.’

Police are working alongside social media bosses and internet providers in an effort to tackle online abuse, and believe that both have a responsibility to ensure children remain safe on the internet. However, Mr Graham acknowledged that with the advances in smart phone technology, children are more vulnerable than ever.

Minister for Early Years Mark McDonald said the Scottish Government would consider the results of Operation Lattise as part of its ongoing child protection work.

He added: ‘The internet and mobile technology have opened up a huge range of opportunities for children and young people, there’s a great deal of information out there that previously would have been very difficult to access and opportunities to make connections of a positive nature with other young people across the world which previously would have been very difficult to do. But alongside those opportunities there are significant risks and what this operation has highlighted is just how significant and just how prevalent those risks are to young people within Scotland.’

Joanna Barrett of NSPCC Scotland said: ‘It is a strategic priority for the NSPCC to keep children safe online, so we really welcome Operation Lattise as a demonstration of how seriously Police Scotland takes this issue.

‘It is absolutely right that perpetrators are brought to justice but we would also reinforce the need to look at prevention as well, and a huge part of prevention is the education that we give to our children in terms of healthy relationships.’