Police arrest 27 men in Bradford over online child sexual exploitation
POLICE have arrested 27 men in connection with online child sexual exploitation in Bradford
Police chief says ‘everyone’ knows someone who views child porn
Officers also arrested a 16-year-old and raided homes across Bradford. They seized mobile phones and computers used to contact children or share indecent images. The men who were questioned were aged between 16 and 57.
They were all later released under investigation, bail or to allow further enquiries by the police
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Weekes, said: “We urge parents and carers, particularly in the current climate where children are spending more time at home, to regularly monitor their children’s devices.
"We also encourage them to report any concerns to the police or partner agencies, so these can be investigated fully.
"We would also warn anyone attempting to contact children online that they cannot hide behind their mobile phone or internet use.
The news comes after police stated that nearly 100 children were targeted online by paedophiles during the first month of lockdown.
Police reports show that 45 suspected paedophiles were arrested in the first four weeks of the lockdown.
During the beginning of the outbreak in the UK police stormed the homes of dozens of suspected paedophiles.
Police have urged parents to be wary and vigilant as children are now spending much more time at home on the internet.
Children are now vulnerable to predators on social media.
There have been 92 children targeted by paedophiles in London alone between March 24 and April 23, Scotland Yard has revealed.
Furthermore, there are an average of around 50 alerts a week about potential online abuse cases in London.
These alerts are being passed to detectives by the National Crime Agency.