Number of people asking for help to stop viewing child porn online DOUBLES to nearly 100,000
- 94,342 people in the UK contacted Stop It Now! by phone or website in 2019
- 43,019 used the service in 2018 – representing a 119 per cent increase in a year
- The helpline offers support to those concerned they are a menace to children
The number of people seeking help to stop viewing child sex abuse images online has doubled in a year, a charity has revealed.
A staggering 94,342 people in the UK contacted Stop It Now! by phone or through its website in 2019, compared to 43,019 who used the service in 2018 – a 119 per cent increase.
The surge follows a campaign, run by child protection charity The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, highlighting the damaging consequences of viewing indecent images of under 18s – both to victims and the perpetrators.
The anonymous helpline offers support to paedophiles concerned they are a menace to children. It also provides advice and information to those worried about the behaviour of friends or family.
The service also supports those close to people arrested for – or suspected of – looking at child abuse images online.
A staggering 94,342 people in the UK contacted Stop It Now! by phone or through its website in 2019, compared to 43,019 who used the service in 2018 – a 119 per cent increase (stock image)
Two years ago, the Home Secretary Sajid Javid warned thousands of youngsters were in danger of being groomed, exploited and blackmailed by sexual predators on the internet.
He said at least 80,000 paedophiles were using websites including social media.
Police forces in the UK make around 520 arrests a month linked to viewing or sharing illegal images of children.
Today the charity will launch two new online films raising awareness of the problem and encourage those looking at depraved images to get help in case their offending escalates and they molest a youngster.
The films depict men who look at sexual images of children being caught by a loved one.
Donald Findlater, director of the Stop It Now! Helpline, said: ‘Tens of thousands of men in the UK are viewing and sharing sexual images of under 18s – these men are our friends, family, neighbours and colleagues.
‘Most are adults, but a significant proportion are teenagers. Many of these men 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.
Police forces in the UK make around 520 arrests a month linked to viewing or sharing illegal images of children (stock image)
‘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.
‘Whoever they are, they need to know this behaviour is illegal, that children are harmed by it, that serious consequences await those involved in it, but that our helpline and website give anonymous and confidential support and advice to stop and stay stopped.’
Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs’ Council child protection spokesman, said: ‘Accessing these images is not a victimless crime and viewing them creates more demand for these appalling offences.
‘We are committed to targeting the perpetrators of these crimes and bringing them to justice. The consequences of being caught are huge and 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 officers.’
To seek help, call 0808 100 0900 or go online at www.stopitnow.org.uk