Police

A dedicated unit is cracking down on child sex abuse by finding the victims whose images are on the internet

Kent Police’s Child Exploitation Investigation Team (CEIT) is leading the way in protecting children from sexual abuse.

In the past year it has saved 16 victims whose images have been found on the internet.

The unit, based at Kent Police Headquarters in Maidstone, targets all forms of child abuse, from the sharing and production of child abuse images, to protecting children from online predators.

Kent Police is the highest performing local force in the country for identification of the children behind online abuse.

Modern technology allows them to monitor online predators and those who share and distribute child abuse images.

The team has had hundreds of successful convictions for child abuse since its launch.

Head of the unit, Detective Inspector Matthew Long said: “We have changed our focus by taking a proactive approach to finding the victims portrayed in these images. They aren’t merely pictures, as behind every image is a real child suffering from abuse and we have an obligation to find and save these children wherever possible. For this reason, every image has to be treated like a crime scene and investigated as such, employing methods of detective work, as one would use in the field.

“The department has become a leader in its field and is renowned as such throughout the country. I am delighted with the results that we have seen, safeguarding more children every year and bringing increasing numbers of offenders to justice.”