The U.K. has the third largest level of on line child sexual abuse in the world

Mainstream sites like You Tube and Facebook filter sexual content pretty successfully.
The others could do the same easily, no excuses,

fancythat 18.09 "It has become rather obvious to me that sentences are nowhere near enough. And people are getting used to such low sentences. Will never stop and only increase, with that'

cps.gov.uk 3 October 2025 "Dark web abuser jailed for multiple child sexual abuse offences".

Robert Chown, 48, was sentenced for engaging in a variety of on line offences ranging from inciting children to engage in sexual activity to downloading and accessing child sexual abuse materials. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison intially, extended for a further 7 years to 25 years in total for his dark web crimes.

There would need to be a change in sentencing guidelines to extend 25 year terms for this type of offence further. That would need to come from central government so anyone could lobby their MP accordingly.

David49 17.55 👍

Absolutely David, they have no excuse.

My DH and I have been watching a documentary about the Brinx matt crime.

Some of the people in those cases were given 25 year sentences. In the 1980's.
Doubt they would get even 12 nowadays.

LemonJam

What would you like the see the UK doing to stop these horrible online crimes against children and help them be better protected?

It has become rather obvious to me that sentences are nowhere near enough.

And people are getting used to such low sentences.

Will never stop and only increase, with that. In my opinion.

Maremia

Okay, what about a massive boost in technical and financial investment in finding ways to track and unmask the content creators?

The big tech companies could censor the internet a stroke but they wont they are making too much money out if advertising.
With AI it would be easy to censor all images online, it would be difficult to stop entirely but that is not an excuse for not trying.

The 2 top countries for child pornography images are Holland and USA. Police forces do work collaboratively across countries already. The cases I've been involved in, predominately the police have been tipped off about online activity by other countries, US in my personal experience, so this is anecdotal.

I am 100% certain the police would welcome a boost in dedicated technical and financial investment to deal with this challenge Maremia 👍.

Okay, what about a massive boost in technical and financial investment in finding ways to track and unmask the content creators?

It's currently illegal to create, download and distribute online pornographic images of children. That in itself has not stopped the exponential growth of the industry.

However if they are not able to TRANSMIT the images to children that would be the biggest boost to protect children from viewing it. The Online Safety Bill holds internet providers to account to make sure processes are in place to stop the transmission of child pornographic images way. There is a current step wise implementation plan, implementation not there yet, and much push back from internet providers. Reform pledges to ditch the Act, which will set this back wholesale in UK.

However there are the children being used/abused in creating the images in the first place to consider. The largest market for distribution of child pornographic images is adults not children. So banning under 16s will not stop the trade, but yes give some welcome protection for under 16s.

In approx 5 years my prediction is that it will be illegal for under 16s to use social media platforms.

Well that's not going to help children is it?
What are they thinking?
Who are they for?

I agree thats one way. They can only be liable for prosecution if there is a law in place thats broken. Reform however, if elected in next election, pledge to abandon the Online Safety Act 2023.

I would like to see the very rich owners of online domains become liable to prosecution and to be shut down, if they don't provide an acceptable level of protection.

What would you like the see the UK doing to stop these horrible online crimes against children and help them be better protected?

I am in complete agreement with you. It’s a terrible state of affairs that children are not protected!
The abuse of children seems to be getting so much worse.
When and how and by whom can we count on to end these horrible crimes. I despair.

fancythat 19.07 at time of charge and in police custody a “younger person” is defined as juvenile ie under 18. Anyone over 18 is a defined as an adult.

Sorry for my unintended confusion in the words I used.

Yes I suspect there is a link to the normalisation of prostitution, all a form of abuse.

Sex offenders escalate when their early involvement in say viewing indecent images of children no longer excites them. Access to real live children via the web seems to be horribly easy, paedophiles can direct the abuse streamed live into their homes.

Years ago, serious images of adult porn and the sexual abuse of
Children were difficult to get hold of. I’ve no doubt that easy access if fuelling an increase of crimes against children

In the 1960-70s small children say 5-7 years were taken, by a parent, to Holland. They’d be filmed in sexual activity with adults , usually men. Those videos were still available twenty years later. I don’t know why Holland, other than it had more liberal attitudes to say adult prostitution.

Thailand, the Phillipenes for example have some well established holiday resorts for sex offenders

Depressing isn’t it

fancythat 19.07 at time of charge and in police custody a “younger person” is defined as juvenile ie under 18. Anyone over 18 is a defined as an adult. When you gave the example of a “younger person” I therefore interpreted you were referring to a child rather than an adult.

Having said that I was careful to make clear I had no knowledge of the circumstances of the case you mentioned and gave no view as whether his penalty was fair, enough, whether he was let off the hook in the circumstances of that case ( you said you had no detail) or otherwise.

If the prosecution thought the penalty awarded was not enough, the person had been let off the hook or the public would be horrified, ie not in the public interest there is always leave to appeal.

I said "a younger person"
He is in no way a teenager.

^ The shame can be immense and you describe them being ostracised by their local community. That also is a form of punishment and living with the shame, the criminal record and that impacting on a juvenile's future career/ job prospects maybe considered punishment enough by the court in that case circumstances.^

But it isnt!
No way, for what he did[i know enough].

And that is my whole point.
If people like you and others consider that his punishment is enough, no wonder soooo many people do such horrendous deeds.
[though you may be saying this because you thought he was a teenager].

And even if he was, you have still let him "off the hook".

Fancythat 17.39- by people- there are adults that create and then adults and children that then download/consume, those that circulate( adults and children) and various combinations thereof. There are sentencing guidelines on line. The judge needs to weigh up category and severity of charges proved (number of downloaded images, category A/B/C thereof, circumstances etc) then weigh up any mitigating circumstances against aggravating circumstances etc.

Plus importantly with juvenile offenders, whether first offence or repeat. If first offence is the juvenile willing and have they since police interview engaged with appropriate services?- e.g. LADS- Local Advice and Diversion services- because ideally you don't want them to reoffend and those services work with the juvenile ( if they are willing/pointless and difficult if not) from time of charge to find out why this happened and offer support.

Circumstances of offence are taken into consideration- they may have been naively groomed- e.g exchanging mildly sexual images "naked torso etc) with whom they believe to be another teenager on line, it escalates further, turns out the other teenager is an adult then they are blackmailed and drawn in the recruit other teenagers/ distribute etc. All a bit like county lines drugs grooming. Risk to the public and others is taken into consideration as well as guilty pleas, demeanour in court and any remorse expressed and accepted as being genuine.

Your teenager didn't go to jail- I don't know the circumstances. The shame can be immense and you describe them being ostracised by their local community. That also is a form of punishment and living with the shame, the criminal record and that impacting on a juvenile's future career/ job prospects maybe considered punishment enough by the court in that case circumstances. Sometimes the circumstances of a juvenile being groomed into this world are sad- but genuine, knowing adults who create, distribute, blackmail and cause great harm deserve their punishment-when identified and successfully prosecuted.

Jail time or longer jail time wouldnt stop all.
But it would go some way to stopping some things.

The LAW thus holds individuals accountable. The government seeks to hold internet providers accountable via things like legislating for the Online Safety bill- you read the push back in the media. I don't easily see how any government of any party persuasion, can be held accountable for the exponential growth of illegal downloading and distribution of pornographic images of children and individuals that download and distribute illegally. All suggestions welcome.

What sentences are given out to people who are found guilty?

I know a younger person who was involved in quite some way in this sort of thing.
I dont know all details.
He didnt go to jail.
He was ostracised in the local Community and had to move.

But if he didnt go to jail, perhaps because jails are full[another htread topic], there are many more like him[I suspect]

That is what governments can do.
Give a lot harsher sentences. And build more jail space.

[sorry by the way to pick up on something else you said this afternoon].

Just picked this up. I will have to listen to the TRIP podcast again to get the information everyone wants, but I’m too busy atm