Police seek charity support amid rising teen involvement in online child abuse

Frontline officers have warned that young people viewing extreme content online can be led down a pathway toward real-life abusive images of children. As new pornography laws come into force making the publication or possession of certain extreme material illegal, police are seeing an increase in arrests and are looking at pilot schemes to send civilians to provide safeguarding advice to children. Officers note that many offenders report becoming desensitised after escalating through extreme pornography habits. To avoid criminalising children unnecessarily, police forces are working with partner agencies and charities to provide support rather than relying solely on the criminal justice system.