A police chief has said that paedophiles that only look at indecent images of children online shouldn’t be jailed.
Chief Constable Simon Bailey, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, has said that the current system can not cope with the huge rise in reports, as child abuse reports have risen by 80% in just three years.
He said, “There are undoubtedly tens of thousands of men that are seeking to exploit children online with a view to meeting them, with a view to then raping them and performing the most awful sexual abuse upon them.
“That’s where I believe our focus has got to be. They are the individuals that pose the really significant threat.”
He went on to say that abusers who only view indecent images should be placed on the sex offenders register, before being cautioned and rehabilitated.
“Every time an image is viewed, the victim is being victimised again and there is nothing as abhorrent. But we have to be able to manage the totality,” he added.
The Home Office have stated that £20 million has been dedicated to specialist teams at the National Crime Agency to tackle online sexual abuse.