Get help now: That is the warning to people accessing indecent images

Police are urging people who access to indecent images of children to seek help to address their illegal behaviour before they get caught.

Warwickshire Police has a specialist team of officers targeting people committing online child sex offences. The team conduct enforcement two to three times each week, this included 80 people arrested in the county last year for accessing indecent images of children.

As well as being convicted, sent to prison and placed on the sex offender’s register, people face a range of other potential consequences including:

• Restricted access to their children.
• Breakdown in relationships with family and friends.
• Loss of employment.
• Disclosures to clubs or organisations they are involved with.
• Social stigma and isolation.
• Mental illness.

The force is urging people who are concerned about their thoughts or behaviour to seek support from an organisation such as The Lucy Faithfull Foundation. Their Stop It Now service offers advice and support for people who access indecent images. Their helpline is anonymous and confidential.

Detective Inspector Dan Freeman from Warwickshire Police Online Child Exploitation Team said: “I think people would be genuinely surprised by the scale of the problem and how many times each week we are knocking on people’s doors to seize their electronic devices.

“The types of people who are accessing these images are not the types of people who are normally in trouble with the police, they are often professional men with families, they’ve not come to our attention before.

"It's a misconception to view this as a victimless crime.  The images and videos depict real children suffering unimaginable abuse.  Each time these materials are downloaded or shared, it perpetuates their trauma and drives this dark market demand for more material to be created.

“For offenders it’s not just the prospect of being convicted at court; the consequences of their behaviour go much further than this affecting their career and relationship. It’s not an exaggeration to say people risk losing everything.

“One of the things people often say after they have been arrested is they wish they had sought help for their behaviour. Don’t let this be you, get help now before you get that knock on the door.”

Stop It Now is a child protection charity, working to prevent child sex abuse. Their confidential service is for anyone with concerns about child sexual abuse and its prevention – whether you’re worried about your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, or about another adult or young person. 

Safer Lives is a service for people under investigation for offences involving indecent images, sexual communications, voyeurism, or indecent exposure.

The Marie Collins Foundation Services Supporting Families of Child Sexual Abuse Material Offending offers a support to help partners or family members of those who have been arrested on suspicion of accessing indecent images of children.