Raids over child porn claims
Some 76 people have been arrested during 48 hours of raids as part of an operation targeting suspected internet paedophiles. Earlier, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) warned that abusive images are becoming more extreme.
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Police warn of dramatic increase in online paedophilia
Police say sexually abusive images of children online are becoming more sadistic, more violent, and more readily available.
Read the full storyCEOP concerned about funding gap as online paedophile threat increases
by Chris Choi - Consumer EditorThe threat of online paedophilia is rising and that means an increased workload for the kind officers who deal with it.
What's making life harder for them is the evolution of technology, giving paedophiles more ways of contacting a victim and more options for storage of material.
We're about to enter a whole new era of policing in this country - for the first time we'll have elected commissioners - so this is a message from CEOP to the new bosses to say 'make sure you fund this policing'.
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Constable: 'Straightforward' to identify men who access indecent images
Lincolnshire Assistant Chief Constable Roger Bannister says he took part in raids on suspected internet paedophiles yesterday.
"It's actually relatively straightforward to indentify men who, through an internet connection - often a laptop or another kind of computer at home, access these kinds of indecent images of children," he says.
"We identify them...and then we arrest the individual."
Seventy-six arrested in raids targeting suspected internet paedophiles
Some 76 people have been arrested during 48 hours of raids as part of an operation targeting suspected internet paedophiles.
A Scout leader, a retired teacher and members of the Armed Services were among those detained by officers from more than 40 police forces, who executed more than 141 search warrants in the operation led by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop).
Most of the warrants related to image offences, including the possession and distribution of indecent images of children, Ceop said.
Raids target suspected internet paedophiles
More than 40 police forces have been involved in raids as part of an operation targeting suspected internet paedophiles.
Several people have been arrested in the raids which have taken place over the last 48 hours in the operation led by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop).
A spokeswoman for Ceop said there have been two days of "operational activity" involving more than 40 forces across the UK.
"There have been a number of warrants that have been executed and a number of arrests that have been made," she said.
Ceop is today publishing a report on the risk posed by people who possess indecent images of children and recommendations about how police can protect children.
How to protect children from online threats
A child Internet safety conference takes place today to raise awareness of the current dangers for children on the web.
Daybreak speaks to mum-of-two Genny Jones and Technology Expert Kate Russell.
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NSPCC: We must tackle child abuse
– Jon Brown, head of the NSPCC's sexual abuse programmeIt's a very worrying situation and more research is needed on the most effective punishment and treatment of offenders caught viewing child abuse pictures.
"Trying to stop the terrible trade in these images is obviously a huge task.
"But it mustn't be seen in isolation. It's part of a much bigger sexual abuse problem."
Warning over link between child abuse images and physical sex attacks on children
There is a direct link between possessing child abuse images and carrying out sexual attacks on children, a specialist police child protection unit has said.
The report carried out by The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) "highlights the need to consider each possession offender as a potential contact offender to some extent."
A study of almost 100 case studies from 34 forces found offenders who both possessed child abuse images and attacked children were "almost exclusively white males", with most aged between 19 and 45.
Those not in work, and possibly therefore those with high levels of internet usage, those working in schools or care work, and those in manual and manufacturing jobs made up most of the sample, the report said.
Children 'aware of dangers online'
- A charity has revealed that although 94 percent of children know how to protect themselves online, 51 percent have read something that upset them and was inappropriate.
- The charity Childline also found that cyber bullying is the most common problem to affect children online.
Warning over online child abuse
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) centre has urged police forces to prioritise the investigation of anyone caught with child abuse images who has easy access to children.
– Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop)In a perfect world all IIOC (indecent images of children) possession cases would be subject to a comprehensive, quick time investigation as soon as intelligence comes to the attention of law enforcement.
"However in a time where resource is sparse and priorities continually modified, this has become increasingly unachievable.
"Anyone who possesses IIOC poses a risk of committing contact sexual offences against children.
"Cases where it has been identified that an IIOC possession suspect has access to children should be actioned as an immediate priority.".