Operation targets child abuse
THE number of people arrested for looking at indecent images of children online has increased following a multi-agency operation to tackle the problem.
Launched in 2016 by all four Welsh police forces and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, Operation NetSafe aims to deal with the threat, risk and harm posed by online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
So far the operation has resulted in 486 warrants being executed, 339 arrests being made and more than 2,000 devices seized. There has also been an increase in the number of people seeking confidential help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation to stop accessing indecent images of children.
Around 1,350 people from Wales have visited the charity’s online self-help resources or called the Stop It Now confidential helpline, seeking help for their own behaviour, making a 50% increase in the number of people receiving help.
South Wales Police assistant chief constable Jon Drake, the All-Wales Lead for Child Sexual Exploitation, said: “Protecting vulnerable people of all ages is our number one priority and Operation NetSafe has safeguarded dozens of children, many of whom have suffered the most appalling sexual abuse.
“We knew that when we launched Operation NetSafe we would be dealing with high volumes of offending, the statistics generated by our enforcement action sadly reflects this.
“And despite some success we still have much to do. We are aware that some offenders continue to convince themselves that they are not committing an offence or harming a young person because they do not have direct contact with the child or children in the images. However, those in possession and distributing child abuse images should be under no illusion that they are helping to create a market for these images and as a result helping to perpetrate the abuse.
“I would urge anyone thinking of accessing these images to seek help via the Stop It Now website or helpline or risk having us turn up at your door. As well as having to register as a sex offender, prosecution often leads to offenders losing their liberty, their job, their friends and, more importantly, their family.”
The police said while they are able to identify offenders remotely they still receive and act on information provided by members of the public.
Donald Findlater, child sexual abuse prevention expert and spokesman for the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, said: “Too many people, mostly men of all ages, seem to think it is okay to view sexual images of children online. It is not.
“Not only is it illegal but it causes great harm to the children in the images and it causes harm to the offenders themselves and to their families.
“Alongside police activity in Wales arresting more and more offenders, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation has been working over these last two years to develop its own response and resources to tackle this growing problem.
“Whether arrested or not, we want those online to stop their illegal behaviour and to stay stopped. Our specialist staff have helped thousands to do this over recent years. We have also helped thousands more family members to come to terms with the fact that someone they know and love has engaged in this behaviour and get help to tackle the problem.”