1.8 million UK men estimated to have offended sexually against children online
1 in 8 child victims of online abuse each year
But problem is preventable
Responding to the life sentence for online predator Alexander McCartney, who admitted 185 charges involving 70 children, the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute called for a new approach to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse.
Childlight CEO Paul Stanfield said: “This is one of the most horrific and disturbing cases ever to come to light and tragically for children, it is far from unusual. The sexual abuse and exploitation of children online is a global pandemic, affecting around 10 children every second around the world.
“In the UK alone, our research indicates about 1.8 million UK men have sexually offended online against children so it’s too big for law enforcement to counter alone. We need a prevention-focused, public health approach that utilises education, collaboration and regulation to ensures child safety online is paramount.”
Childlight recently produced the first global estimate of the extent of online child sexual exploitation and abuse, indicating that more than 300 million children annually fall victim – equivalent to around 10 children every second.
