Authorities have issued both a warning and an appeal to society about the worsening situation.
The number of arrests has increased in the last three years (Image: Getty)
Disturbing figures by the National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed that the police are arresting 1,000 suspected paedophiles every month in the UK, with the threat of child sex abuse worsening.
Rob Jones, director of NCA’s general operations, warned that online groups on the dark web have “rationalised” the behaviour of offenders and bring “like-minded” abusers together, with attackers using mainstream social media as a means to “identify and abuse vulnerable”.
Mr Jones said that the alarming situation is “incredibly damaging”.
He added: “We want society to push back and people to confront their offending – that is the opposite of what happens in the online world.”
Arrests have increased from between 500 and 800 per month a few years ago to 1,000 now. The amount of material referred to the authorities by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children has essentially doubled over the past three years.
During a single week of January, 252 arrests were made by the NCA and other forces across the UK. Of the arrests, 118 were then charged, another 35 people were sentenced in court, and 407 children were safeguarded, reports Sky News.
Authorities are seeing a rise in horrific offences, including abusers paying as little as £20 for livestreamed footage of children being abused
The Government recently announced that it will crack down on tech companies to protect children from illegal content, aiming to eliminate “vile illegal content created by AI”, with the possibility that the UK will follow Australia’s lead by considering an age limit on social media.
Becky Riggs, National Police chief lead for child protection and abuse investigation, is calling for tech firms to “make their platforms hostile environments for offenders”, while the police work “relentlessly” to target abusers.
Trusted adults, including parents, guardians, and teachers, are also being urged to learn the signs of abuse. She explained that trusted adults around children need “clear, accessible guidance” in order to recognise the signs, “have open conversations, and know where to turn for help.”
