NCA: 1,000 child abuse arrests a month
Senior policing leads have warned that child sexual abuse is increasing in severity, complexity and accessibility, despite record levels of enforcement action.
The UK’s policing leads for child sexual abuse said advances in technology, including generative AI image creation tools and end to end encryption, are increasing opportunities for offenders to contact and abuse children online.
More than 20 million reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation were made to the US based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2024, with more than 19 million relating to the making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.
That has led to the National Crime Agency’s Child Sexual Exploitation Referrals Bureau receiving an average of 1,700 reports a week of alleged online child abuse.
The National Crime Agency and policing partners are arresting an average of 1,000 potential offenders each month and safeguarding about 1,200 children.
During one week in January, the NCA and forces across the UK arrested 252 people, charged 118, safeguarded 407 children and saw 35 individuals sentenced at court. Policing leaders said this level of activity is taking place every week.
They said the threat now includes offenders commissioning the livestream sexual abuse of children for as little as £20, financially motivated sexual extortion of primarily young boys, and online “communities”, known as Com networks, where members share increasingly violent material.
Rob Jones, Director General Operations at the National Crime Agency, said: “Over the last five years, we have continually said that the use of technology is increasing the opportunities for child sex offenders, and the risk to children and young people. We have seen some improvements by tech companies, but it’s nowhere near what’s actually needed to protect children in this day and age.
“On a daily basis, officers at the NCA and across policing are assessing some of the most obscene child abuse imaginable. And this is not hidden in the dark web – it’s being shared on social media and is accessible on the clear web as well for anyone to see.
“The response to the continual CSA threat cannot be one for policing alone – a whole-system approach is the only way to protect children effectively. We all owe it to our children not to be a bystander – now is the time to really make a difference.”
Temporary Chief Constable Becky Riggs, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigation, said: “Every child deserves to feel safe and protected, wherever they are – and that must include the online spaces where they learn, play and connect with others.
“Policing is relentless in pursuing those who seek to harm children, and we will continue to target offenders at national, regional and local levels. But enforcement alone will never be enough. We all have a responsibility to build a safer digital world for our young people.”
She said education for children and guidance for parents, carers and teachers was essential, and called on technology companies to develop systems that prevent children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images online and improve detection of abuse material.
Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, said: “The scale of child sexual abuse and exploitation in this country is horrific, whether online, at home, or within depraved criminal gangs, and this government is using every lever at our disposal to fight it.
“We are funding a network of undercover officers online and a dedicated police taskforce to disrupt crimes, catch offenders and protect children. In addition, the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs and Operation Beaconport will work hand in hand to get justice for survivors.
“Interventions as part of Operation Croft mean more children saved and more perpetrators off the streets.”
Policing leads said they want Ofcom to make stronger use of its powers under the Online Safety Act to hold companies to account where they are not compliant, and called for further investment in prevention and offender management.
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