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UK Police Face Over 2,000 Reports of Child Exploitation Crimes Every Year — And the Scale Is Growing
Police forces across England and Wales are dealing with an enormous and complex problem: the vast number of reports of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) coming through every year. Official analysis of police-recorded crime data shows that tens of thousands of child sexual abuse and exploitation offences are now being reported — far more than two thousand — highlighting both the scale of harm affecting children and the enormous pressure on law enforcement and support services.
Record Levels of Reported Child Exploitation
Recent government and policing data reveal that police record well over 100,000 crimes involving child sexual abuse and exploitation every year in England and Wales alone. In the latest analysed period, there were approximately 122,768 such offences recorded in 2024, a year-on-year increase of about 6%, with online offences now accounting for around 42% of cases.
This number includes a wide range of crimes — from possession and distribution of indecent images to contact sexual abuse, grooming and online coercion. Of these, around a substantial proportion are flagged by police as involving some form of child sexual exploitation — where the victim is manipulated or abused for sexual purposes.
Why the Numbers Matter
That more than 100,000 offences are reported annually doesn’t just represent figures on a page — they reflect thousands of children harmed, frightened and traumatised each year. Police and charities agree that recorded crimes represent just the “tip of the iceberg,” because many victims never come forward or are not identified. Estimates suggest up to 500,000 children a year could experience some form of sexual abuse, of which only a fraction is ever reported to police.
The number of reports has grown significantly over the past decade — partly due to improved awareness and data recording, but also because of real increases in online abuse and exploitation facilitated by technology. Victims are increasingly being targeted through social media, messaging apps and gaming platforms, where offenders can operate anonymously and at scale.
Policing Challenges and Responses
For police forces, these volumes present huge challenges. Specialist teams are under pressure to prioritise investigations, provide victim support and pursue offenders who may be operating in hidden or encrypted online spaces. In some parts of the country, investigators are coping with monthly arrest figures in the thousands, and child safeguarding agencies are urging tech companies to do more to prevent abuse at source.
At the same time, campaigners and policymakers are pushing for better training, more resources and clearer data on the nature and scale of exploitation — so that police, social services and schools can identify harm earlier and intervene more effectively. Many argue that official statistics still understate the true scale of the problem because of inconsistent recording practices and under-reporting by victims.
The Human Cost
Behind every report is a child whose safety, wellbeing and future have been jeopardised. Beyond legal proceedings and police investigations, long-term support is crucial — including counselling, safe housing and educational support — to help victims recover from trauma that can last well into adulthood. Charities emphasise that tackling this issue requires coordinated effort across government, technology firms, educators and families.
Looking Forward
The fact that police handle well over two thousand reports of child exploitation crimes annually underscores the urgent need for continued action — not just from law enforcement, but from society as a whole. Improved prevention, better detection and more effective support for victims remain essential as this deeply troubling issue evolves in an increasingly digital age.
Attached is a news article regarding child exploitation in the uk
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjd9xnjyy8po
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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