24 April 2006
New CEOP Centre will be the most significant development in child protection to date
London 24th April 2006. Tackling child sex abuse took a significant step forward today with the launch of the new Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre. The new organisation is headed up by Jim Gamble, former Deputy Director General of the National Crime Squad.
For the first time ever and, in a model that other countries are already studying, the organisation will bring together law enforcement officers, specialists from children's charities and industry to work in unison under one roof. This will provide a unique holistic approach to the growing problem of child abuse. Already, major corporations such as Microsoft, AOL and VISA, as well as children's charities including the NSPCC and Childnet International have put considerable resources and weight behind the new initiative.
The CEOP Centre has a mandate to use national resources to focus on high risk, high impact offenders and will deliver:
- A dedicated 24/7 online resource for reporting instances of online child sex abuse
- Systems to track sex offenders and to disseminate intelligence globally - resulting in victim identification and the direction of those victims towards sources of support
- Specialist operational capability to boost domestic and international raids
- Dedicated operators to track and seize assets from those who trade in child abuse images, working in partnership with VISA to develop greater sanctions against those who use legitimate payment mechanisms to purchase such images
- Online awareness tools and offline education materials to encourage children to use the internet safely
- Direct input into making technological advances 'safer by design' e.g. the technical specification of new products will incorporate child protection features
- An international presence by maximising the potential of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an alliance between law enforcement agencies from the UK, Canada, United States of America, Australia and Interpol, by capitalising on existing relationships and bringing other countries on board.
- Specialist training services to help personnel in law enforcement, education, prisons, probationary services and child protection agencies.
Home Office Minister Paul Goggins, commenting on the new organisation, said:
Child sex abuse is one of the worst crimes imaginable. Victims are attacked during their most vulnerable years and the effects can and, often do, last a life time.
It is a crime from which, not only individual offenders, but also organised criminal enterprises can and do profit. I see the CEOP Centre, under the leadership of Jim Gamble, as a major platform from which we can launch a co-ordinated effort to stay that vital step ahead of the criminal.
The growth in the distribution of child abuse images continues to rise - one operation alone seized over 750,000 images - while latest figures show that over 8 million children and young people have access to the internet throughout the UK. Of those millions, one survey at least has shown a high proportion of those children - 1 in 12 - have met someone offline who they initially encountered in an online environment.
CEO of the new CEOP Centre Jim Gamble said:
The CEOP Centre is the most significant development in child protection in recent years and is a direct response to the explosion in online child abuse. Our challenge therefore is this - to make the internet a safer environment for your child.
What we have to understand is that behind every image online there is a child in the real world being abused. Behind every online chat there is the potential that your child may be speaking to a sex offender. That is a harsh reality
That is not to say of course that the internet isn't a great place. It is a great environment - one that is full of learning and fun opportunities. What we are saying to children, young people and parents is that by putting awareness first you will reduce the opportunities for harm.
So let us be clear. If you are a sex offender- get help or get caught. The internet will increasingly expose you to new policing powers and will cease to be the anonymous place that it once was.
If you are a parent, a child or a young person don't be afraid, be cautious. If you are a victim then approach us. Let us signpost you to sources of help, advice and support.
As well as tracking and bringing offenders to account the CEOP Centre will be allocating significant resources towards developing education programmes and public awareness campaigns. This will be kick-started by the 'Think You Know' programme which will be launched to schools later in the year, and will provide education on internet safety and advice on the very latest security measures.
None of our work in the CEOP Centre would be possible without partnership. If nothing else, one lesson is clear from past experience: modern-day policing cannot and must not work alone in tackling this horrendous crime. The CEOP Centre is about inclusion, sharing experience and pooling knowledge and above all working towards one cohesive aim,
concludes Gamble.