Calls double to service aimed at helping viewers of child sex abuse

THE number of people contacting a helpline with concerns about viewing child sex abuse images online has more than doubled in the past year.

Figures from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation show that 94,342 people in the UK contacted its Stop It Now! service in 2019, compared with 43,019 the previous year. They include people worried about someone close to them as well as potential offenders.

According to the National Crime Agency, 80,000 people in Britain are classed as posing a sexual threat to children, and an estimated 140,000 UK users are registered on the worst child sexual abuse websites on the dark web. Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on child protection, said: “Accessing these images is not a victimless crime and viewing them creates more demand. We are arresting more offenders than ever and our tools for tracking down offenders are the best ever. The consequences of being caught include losing your job, your family life, being imprisoned and registered as a sex offender.

“Anyone who is having inappropriate thoughts about children should seek help from Stop It Now!, otherwise they should expect a visit from police.”

Donald Findlater, the service’s director, said: “Tens of thousands of men in the UK are viewing and sharing sexual images of under-18s. Many started viewing this illegal material as part of their adult pornography habit, somehow not noticing or perhaps caring that these were images of children being abused.

“Some don’t know the law and need it spelling out. A few are struggling with a long-standing sexual interest in children and think that looking at ‘only pictures’ is a way of containing that interest. They need to know this behaviour is illegal and that serious consequences await them, but that our helpline and website give anonymous and confidential support and advice to stop and stay stopped.”