Child porn increases Halton social care caseload fivefold

REFERRALS to social services of youngsters at risk of sexual abuse have rocketed in Runcorn and Widnes due to young people being exposed to perverts who look at indecent images of children.

The Weekly News can reveal that 88 young people were deemed at risk in the past year – a rise of nearly five times from the 17 cases the previous year.

The shocking figures were included in a report presented to Halton Borough Council’s children’s board on Monday.

The document said some of the increase was ‘attributable to adults accessing child pornography’.

Throughout 2011-12, there were 1,132 referrals in total, down from 1,395 the year before.

Family dysfunction accounted for 48% of the cases, domestic abuse 16% and neglect 13%.

The Child Exploitation And Online Protection Centre (CEOP) told the Weekly News that an increase in referrals might be due to a few prolific offenders or easier access to reporting suspects rather than higher offending levels.

A CEOP spokesman said the agency is placing internet links to its own website on social networks.

However, he warned of alarming trends across the country.

He said: “Our recent A Picture Of Abuse report highlighted that the volume of indecent images of children in circulation online has increased dramatically in recent years and now runs into millions.

“Indecent images of children are featuring younger victims.

“They are increasingly extreme, violent and sadistic.

“There is a link between the possession of indecent images of children and committing contact abuse against them.

“All indecent image possession investigations should have the notion that any case may result in the identification of a victim of contact sexual abuse.

“Access to children should be treated as a high risk factor and these cases prioritised.”

For more information or to report a suspect visit www.ceop.police.uk