FOI 537-2024 / May 2024 / Child abuse imagery
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 537-2024
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 29th May 2024, and clarification received on 3rd June 2024, as follows:
- How many cases of uploading child abuse imagery have you dealt with in the last 5 years?
- How many of those were dropped without charge?
- What can you say about why these people (if any) were targeted if there was no evidence of the crime on their devices?
On 3rd June 2024 we requested the following clarification from you:
- Where you have asked:
‘How many cases of uploading child abuse imagery have you dealt with?’
Please clarify whether you are asking:
How many crimes have been recorded under Home Office crime classification 86/2 - Take/make/distribute indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children?
Please note that there is no specific offence for 'uploading', and to manually review each and every 'take/make/distribute offence' to try to determine whether it involved uploading would exceed the fees limit.
Where you have asked for information 'in the last 5 years', please clarify whether you require information for the last 5 calendar years 2019-2023, or something else?
- Where you have asked:
‘How many of those were dropped without charge?’
Please clarify whether you are asking for the number of those crimes identified in Q1 (i.e., 86/2 - Take/make/distribute indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children) which have been filed/closed (so are not part of an ongoing investigation), have an outcome type other than 'charge/summons', or something else.
- I must advise that your final question is not valid under the Freedom of information Act 2000 (“the Act”) as it does not fulfil the requirement of Section 8, in that it is not a request for specific recorded information held. Please be advised that the Act only extends to requests for recorded information and does not require public authorities to answer questions if this would mean creating new information, or giving an opinion or judgement that is not already recorded.
On 3rd June 2024 you provided the following clarification:
Yes to all, so the crime classification you give, calendar years and cases dropped in the category of distributing indecent images of children.
Your revised request therefore asked:
Q1. How many crimes have been recorded under Home Office crime classification 86/2 - Take/make/distribute indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children for the calendar years 2019-2023
Q2. the number of those crimes identified in Q1 (i.e., 86/2 - Take/make/distribute indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children) which have been filed/closed (so are not part of an ongoing investigation), have an outcome type other than 'charge/summons'
Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in providing the response to your request and for any inconvenience that this may have caused you. Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
When reviewing the information please note that is was retrieved by searching for offences under Home Office Code ‘086/02’, recorded between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2023 (inclusive).
Q1 response:
|
Year |
Total |
|
2019 |
213 |
|
2020 |
311 |
|
2021 |
351 |
|
2022 |
411 |
|
2023 |
495 |
|
Grand total |
1781 |
Q2 response:
|
Outcome Type |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition / Type 1A - Charged/Summons - alternate offence. Offender has been charged under the alternate offence rule. |
17 |
37 |
33 |
32 |
29 |
148 |
|
All outcomes assigned other than Charged* |
196 |
273 |
313 |
343 |
406 |
1531 |
|
Ongoing |
|
1 |
5 |
36 |
60 |
102 |
|
Grand Total |
213 |
311 |
351 |
411 |
495 |
1781 |
*Please note that this includes the following outcomes:
- Type 2: Caution Youth
- Type 2A: Caution Youth - alternate offence. Offender is a juvenile and has been given a youth caution under the alternate offences rule.
- Type 3: Caution Adult
- Type 3A: Caution Adult - alternate offence. Offender has been given a simple caution under the alternate offences rule.
- Type 5: Offender has died
- Type 8: Community resolution (Crime)
- Type 11: Prosecution Prevented-Named Suspect Identified But Is Below The Age Of Criminal Responsibility
- Type 12: Prosecution Prevented-Named Suspect Identified But Is Too Ill (Physical Or Mental Health) To Prosecute, or confirmed died either before crime reported or before enough evidence to charge
- Type 14: Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender
- Type 15: Named Suspect Identified: Victim Supports Police Action But Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action
- Type 16: Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action
- Type 18: Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available
- Type 20: Further action resulting from the crime report will be undertaken by another body or agency subject to the victim (or person acting on their behalf) being made aware of the act to be taken
- Type 21: Further investigation resulting from crime report which could provide evidence sufficient to support formal action against the suspect is not in the public interest - police decision.
- Type 22: Diversionary, educational or intervention activity, resulting from the crime report, has been undertaken and it is not in the public interest to take any further action.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB