Police | Online child sexual abuse reports rise by 21 per cent in Scotland

Reports of online child sexual abuse rise by 21 per cent in Scotland

Reports of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSAE) in Scotland have increased by 21 per cent, new figures from Police Scotland show.

Between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, 2,055 cyber-based sexual offences against children were recorded, an increase of 364 compared to the previous year.

Police Scotland said three types of crime made up two-thirds of that figure:

• Cause or force you to view/hear sexual images/content;
• Communicating in an indecent manner with a child; and
• Possessing/distributing indecent images of children.

Police Scotland have launched their latest #GethelpOrGetCaught campaign to help prevent OCSAE crimes. The campaign is aimed at people who may have committed or are at risk of committing a crime.

The scale of OCSAE was highlighted in a recent study by the University of Edinburgh’s Childlight initiative, which estimated that 300 million children worldwide fall victim to online sexual exploitation and abuse each year.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that between 1.3 and 1.6 per cent of adults in the UK pose a risk to children to some extent.

The scale of the threat constitutes a recognized risk for the entire country.

The #GethelpOrGetCaught campaign, which launched on Monday (1 July), directs offenders or those at risk of committing a crime to the Stop It Now service, run by Lucy Faithfull Foundation Scotland, which offers advice and support to prevent them from committing a crime.

Detective Chief Superintendent Sam Faulds, head of Public Protection for Police Scotland, which leads on safeguarding children, said: “More and more of us are living our lives online, especially children and young people. Cyber ​​crime is on the rise and our investigations are increasingly focused on identifying offenders and bringing them to justice.

“During the school holidays, many more children will be staying at home and using the internet.

“We want to reduce the risk of young people falling victim to online abuse and sexual exploitation.

“Many of our key partners provide advice to young people and their parents on how to stay safe online.

“Our role is to pursue criminals.

“Our prevention campaigns offer them a way to stop them, a way out before they commit a crime, before a child becomes their victim, before someone’s life is ruined.

“We want to prevent children from falling victim to online predators and will use all means at our disposal to identify those responsible.”

Stuart Allardyce, director of Lucy Faithfull Foundation Scotland, said: “We have worked with hundreds of people who have been arrested for online crimes against children or are concerned about their thoughts or behaviour towards children.

“Through our work, we understand how difficult it can be to seek help. We also know that people who engage in these behaviors often need support with mental health and compulsive behaviors, feeling trapped in a cycle of harmful behaviors.

“The reasons for viewing sexual images of children or grooming online are complex, and many people realise that what they are doing is wrong. Seeking individual, anonymous and impartial support is absolutely the right thing to do. This can help people stop viewing illegal images or engaging in illegal online conversations.

“By making the right choice and getting the support you need, you can stop offending or potentially committing crimes and help protect children and keep them safe.”

The Police Scotland campaign will run for six weeks across a range of social media platforms including Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat and Spotify.

Last month, 61-year-old Ian Heddle was found guilty of serious sexual assault of a child and possessing indecent images of children. Heddle was arrested and charged in Scotland with possessing indecent images of children.

Following an investigation, it was determined that he had also sexually assaulted a young girl in Thailand. He was subsequently arrested and charged with this offence. The arrest was made under laws that protect children around the world from sexual exploitation by British citizens.

Earlier this year, serial predator Benjamin Young, 42, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and given a lifetime restriction order. Young created and shared images and videos of children being sexually abused.

He was identified and investigated by the NCA’s Investigative Unit in partnership with international law enforcement partners.

The numbers show that most perpetrators of online sexual harassment are men (90 percent). Most victims are women (54 percent).