Hundreds more potential image offenders identified through proactive targeting by police and NCA

Publishing figures today on operational progress by the NCA and 40 police forces, NCA-CEOP Director Johnny Gwynne and Chief Constable Simon Bailey, NPCC Lead for Child Protection, said the results had been achieved through a combination of more consistent prioritising, increased investment in capability, and the mainstreaming of a coordinated and proactive national approach.

The activity has led to the arrests of over 680 people on suspicion of accessing indecent images of children online in the past nine months, 104 of which were in positions of trust. Nearly 400 children have been safeguarded.

Johnny Gwynne said:

"NCA and UK policing are focusing resources in a deliberate, targeted and joined up way: the more stones we turn over the more we are able to find. We are investing more and delivering more for the millions of people we serve: that’s why we are here.

“A lot has happened since Operation Notarise in July 2014 not least that there is now a far broader understanding, beyond just law enforcement, of the scale of online image offending. National strategies now give child sexual exploitation the highest priority, and our investment in capacity and capability reflects that shift.

“The figures we are releasing today are one part of the tangible difference this investment is making. As well as seeking out offenders we have had significant and increasing success in identifying the victims captured in indecent images and ensuring they are protected. In 2014-15 this was 177, the highest ever figure, and in the first six months of this year we have already gone well beyond that, with 187 victims identified. Ultimately all of this is about keeping children safe.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Child Protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey said:

“Today’s results demonstrate a new level of intent to stop offenders viewing indecent images and abusing children, and a new sophistication in our tactics. This shows that a focus on targeted, proactive operations coordinated with the NCA works.  93 per cent of the people we arrested in this operational activity were not previously known to law enforcement in relation to child abuse.  If we hadn’t gone out looking for them as we have done, they would have remained under the radar and the nearly 400 children we’ve safeguarded since then would still be at risk.

“These operations are directed at those involved in the vile industry built around indecent images of children but this is part of a wider change in approach for the police service.  Our focus has got to be on working proactively with other agencies to protect the public from harm committed on or offline, with particular focus on those who are most vulnerable.”

Details of the tactics used to identify offenders are not being disclosed in order to protect their effectiveness in future investigations.

Today’s figures are only one strand of CSE investigation. In addition to proactively searching for online offenders, the NCA also receives between 1300 and 1500 referrals every month from industry and the public. Many of these referrals are fragments of data which need to be resolved, usually with the help of communication service providers, before individuals can be identified. Intelligence packages are then shared with police forces and NCA teams for investigation.

CASE STUDIES

Case study 1: An individual arrested in April 2015 suspected of possessing indecent images of children. Forensic experts were able to establish from seized items that the suspect had an interest in incest material. Further investigation lead to the discovery of a first generation (never seen before by law enforcement) photograph, depicting the abuse of a child. Enquiries are on-going to identify the victim. Several children closely connected to the suspect have been safeguarded as a result of this investigation.

Case Study 2: An individual who stated when interviewed that he had searched for adult pornography and had inadvertently seen child abuse images. Examination of his computer equipment revealed a number of images and in particular what appeared to be first generation (never seen before by law enforcement) images of a young girl. Further investigation identified the girl as a former girlfriend, who stated in interview that the defendant sexually abused her. Lancashire are working with two other forces in progressing this investigation.

Case Study 3: An individual arrested for possession of indecent images of children, whose computer equipment had a number of first generation (never seen before by law enforcement) images.  Further investigations led to the suspect being arrested for rape and subsequently admitting numerous counts of rape of a child. They are awaiting sentence.

Case Study 4: Police found 1,552 downloaded indecent photographs, including 78 at the highest category, and 233 indecent videos, with 103 at the highest level; the total runtime of the videos exceeded six hours. The search uncovered footage that the offender had taken himself sexually abusing children and an adult woman.  Pictures found on his mobile phone showed him removing the clothing of sleeping children, and molesting them, and molesting a sleeping woman unaware of the abuse. As well as making and possessing indecent images of children, the offender admitted raping a child aged between three and five, sexually assaulting another three year old, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of two children, and the sexual assault of the adult woman.  The offender was jailed for six years and eight months, and was ordered to be placed under supervision for a further 10 years after release. 

Case Study 5: A suspect arrested at his home had a previous conviction from 1994 for indecency with children and sexual offence convictions in Australia. The suspect had previously been employed working with children before retirement, and had since adopted the role of grandfather to two children in the family he resided with. The investigation discovered that he had taken multiple indecent images of the younger of the two children. Indecent images of other family members over many years were also found. The suspect was charged with and pleaded guilty to 10 offences under the Sexual Offences Act including Cause/Incite the sexual exploitation of a child under 13. He has been bailed to court for sentencing. The investigation found one of the largest ever pre categorised indecent image collections, with over 500,000 indecent images of children. In interview the suspect conceded that without intervention he would have gone on to contact offend. The investigation has found no evidence of offending behaviour whilst he was employed working with children.

Case Study 6: Police received information that a 32 year old male cleaner from Hertfordshire was accessing child abuse material on the internet and a number of devices were seized from his address.  The offender was found guilty at court on 10/11/2015 of making indecent images of children and for  breaching an existing SOPO.  The case has been passed to Crown Court for sentencing. The same offender had previously (2014) been found guilty of breach of Sex Offender’s Order as well as Possession of Prohibited Images. He had also been previously sentenced for similar offences in 2013.

Case Study 7: Police executed a search warrant in the East of England and arrested a 50 year old male.  Officers discovered that he had frequent contact with children through his employment and put safeguarding measures in place. Forensic examination of computers found 92 illegal images and 50 videos containing illegal content.  The offender has been charged with 10 offences including the making of indecent images of children and the possession of extreme adult pornography.

NATIONAL STATISTICS (SNAPSHOT AT 27/11/15)

Children safeguarded: 399*

Arrests: 682

Premises searched: 633

Warrants executed: 651

People charged to date: 147

Registered Sex Offenders: 46

People with convictions or allegations of contact abuse: 32

• Of which, positions of trust: 3
• Registered Sex Offenders: 7

People in positions of trust: 104

• Teaching/Education: 32
• Medical/care work: 23
• Law enforcement, criminal justice, armed forces, Govt: 15
• Voluntary only roles: 15
• Other: 12

* agencies have taken action to address concerns over the welfare of children in these cases