Child sexual abuse online grows by 93% in Thames Valley during the pandemic
The Thames Valley police in the UK have reported that people suspected to be viewing child sexual material online has increased by 93% in two years.
Between March 2020 and February 2021, the Thames Valley Police received 621 referrals from the National Crime Agency, compared to 321 over the same period between 2018 and 2019. The police arrested 31 people and seized 276 items based on 43 referrals in March and reports suggest 32 children were safeguarded from these arrests. Police attribute this rise in child sexual abuse to the COVID-19 lockdown as people including children were spending more time online.
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