Charities have welcomed a new campaign from Police Scotland.
Police Scotland has launched a new campaign targeting sexual predators who groom and abuse children online.
The campaign - #GetHelpOrGetCaught – comes as charities warn the ongoing lockdown could increase the risks of children being targeted by abusers as they spend more time on the internet and social media sites.
Police are proactively targeting men who are already offending or likely to offend, with the campaign asking them: if you wouldn’t do it in the real world, why groom and abuse children in the online world?
Launching the campaign, assistant chief constable Duncan Sloan said: “Protecting children from abuse online is one of our top priorities. But we are now living through a period of heightened risk, as people follow guidance and practice social distancing during the Covid-19 outbreak.
“We are acutely aware that people are at home, that they have more time to access the internet and that the potential risk of online child abuse is, therefore, extremely high. This makes our current campaign even more relevant.
“Online child sexual abuse is not virtual, its repercussions are real. Grooming, indecent communication and causing children to participate in sexual activity, are all serious criminal offences.
“Offenders will be identified and arrested and they will face the consequences of their actions: not just a conviction but the potential loss of family, reputation and work/livelihood. Abusers are responsible for their actions, it is up to them to take action and stop, to get help or get caught.”
Police Scotland consulted with partners on the campaign including child protection charity Stop It Now! Scotland. Stuart Allardyce, the charity’s director, said: “Actions that would not be acceptable in real life, are not acceptable online. There are no grey areas. Whether it is sending sexualised messages or images to young people, trying to get them to send images to you, or trying to meet up for sexual purposes – all of these things are illegal and wrong.
“If you are already talking to children or young people online, asking for images or seeking to meet them, or are feeling the urge to do so, please reach out to us for confidential and anonymous help.”
Matt Forde, national head of service for NSPCC Scotland, added: “Each year hundreds of crimes of online child sexual abuse are recorded by police in Scotland, and we are deeply concerned that offenders are exploiting the conditions created by this current public health crisis, with children spending more time online.
“Police Scotland has - now even more so than ever - rightly identified tackling these crimes as a priority, through raising awareness of the issue and sending a direct and robust message to offenders. However, law enforcement can in no way win this fight alone – tech firms must urgently make protecting children a task of utmost importance, by identifying and disrupting offenders on their sites.
“It is also extremely important that parents have regular conversations with their children about their online activities and try to make them feel comfortable to talk about anything that concerns them.”
Internet grooming and online child sexual abuse remains a major threat across the UK. Offences continue to rise with 1694 recorded in Scotland between April 2019 and February 2020, compared to 1573 over the same period for 2018/19.
The Stop It Now! Scotland helpline is available on 0800 1000 900. All advice is offered on a confidential and anonymous basis.
