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Paedophiles who download images 'won't all be charged' Paedophiles who download images 'won't all be charged'
(about 1 hour later)
Some paedophiles with images of child abuse will escape prosecution, the head of the National Crime Agency says.Some paedophiles with images of child abuse will escape prosecution, the head of the National Crime Agency says.
Keith Bristow said police would have to focus on pursuing those who posed most risk but that others would face a "range of interventions".Keith Bristow said police would have to focus on pursuing those who posed most risk but that others would face a "range of interventions".
Some 660 arrests were made during a recent operation targeting people who had accessed child abuse images online.Some 660 arrests were made during a recent operation targeting people who had accessed child abuse images online.
However, the BBC understands that as many as 20,000-30,000 individuals were identified during that investigation.However, the BBC understands that as many as 20,000-30,000 individuals were identified during that investigation.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) - part of the NCA - has estimated that 50,000 people in the UK are involved in downloading and sharing images of child abuse.The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) - part of the NCA - has estimated that 50,000 people in the UK are involved in downloading and sharing images of child abuse.
Top priority 'High volume'
NCA director general Mr Bristow said it was "not realistic" to expect all of them to face prosecution.NCA director general Mr Bristow said it was "not realistic" to expect all of them to face prosecution.
"Our responsibility is to focus on the greatest risk and tackle those people," he said."Our responsibility is to focus on the greatest risk and tackle those people," he said.
But Jim Gamble, who resigned as head of Ceop in 2010, said most of those who viewed images would go on to commit a "contact offence" against children and should be pursued. But campaigners pointed to a link between accessing abuse images and "contact offending". A 2012 Ceop report found "compelling evidence" that those who possessed child abuse images should be considered a risk to children.
The NCA said in July that the 660 arrests made as part of Operation Notarise included teachers, medical staff, former police officers, a social services worker and a scout leader.The NCA said in July that the 660 arrests made as part of Operation Notarise included teachers, medical staff, former police officers, a social services worker and a scout leader.
Some of the suspected paedophiles had terabytes - equivalent to 1,000GB - worth of data on their hard drives or storage devices.Some of the suspected paedophiles had terabytes - equivalent to 1,000GB - worth of data on their hard drives or storage devices.
'Horrible criminality'
Mr Bristow said every image would be assessed, describing it as "high volume" work that had to be done at pace.Mr Bristow said every image would be assessed, describing it as "high volume" work that had to be done at pace.
"If there are 50,000 people involved in this particularly horrible type of criminality, I don't believe all 50,000 will end up in the criminal justice system," he said at a briefing for journalists."If there are 50,000 people involved in this particularly horrible type of criminality, I don't believe all 50,000 will end up in the criminal justice system," he said at a briefing for journalists.
"It's uncomfortable but we're going to work through it in a logical way, target the most risky first.""It's uncomfortable but we're going to work through it in a logical way, target the most risky first."
He said there would be a "range of interventions" which for some of the offenders could fall short of them "standing in a court".He said there would be a "range of interventions" which for some of the offenders could fall short of them "standing in a court".
Mr Bristow drew a distinction between "contact abusers" who may have been involved in physical abuse, and those who shared images. An NCA spokesman said that included preventative measures and enabling young people to protect themselves online - such as blocking search terms and disrupting anonymous web browsing.
Society would have to have "deeply uncomfortable conversations" about the scale of child abuse and how to respond to it, Mr Bristow added. NCA deputy director general Phil Gormley said: "Not every viewer will go on to be a contact abuser," adding that further research was required.
'Would be my priority' "We need a much more nuanced, much more sustainable approach to this and we need to confront some really unpleasant and horrible truths about human nature."
But Mr Gamble said: "Are we going to say because there's too many we can't do it? 'Shameful'
"It's about how you prioritise the resources that you allocate to these problems. The NSPCC said the NCA's intervention revealed "an uncomfortable truth about the difficult decisions officers face daily in identifying and pursuing offenders".
"And for me, protecting children from those people who look at images... is key and would be at the top of my priority list." Head of strategy Jon Brown said: "It's true that the police can only do what they can with the budgets available to them.
Donald Findlater, from children's charity the Lucy Faith Foundation, said the NCA's "candour" was "desperately important". "The government must make tackling this vile trade a priority in the funding available to the NCA and at a local force level.
But he said police needed to "make a judgement" and "deploy their resources to go for those who are most directly dangerous to children and are most actively sharing online". "There are clear links between accessing this material and contact offending."
"There is a whole raft of additional people behaving badly online who need to get some kind of a response," he told BBC News. Jim Gamble, who resigned as head of Ceop in 2010, said: "Are we going to say because there's too many we can't do it?"
"I think it's important that their behaviour is brought out into the open. He added that it was "shameful" Mr Bristow had to "come out and deliver this hard but honest message".
"We have been pretending as every other nation in the world is currently pretending that they're on top of this problem online - they are not." "And the shame belongs with [Home Secretary] Theresa May who has not invested - who has not delivered anything beyond rhetoric to make things better for children where the internet is involved."
'Primary sexual interest'
Donald Findlater, from child protection charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, said said police needed to "deploy their resources to go for those who are most directly dangerous to children and are most actively sharing online".
He said some among the estimated 50,000 people who had viewed child abuse images would be heavy users of adult pornography.
"Now that's not OK," he told BBC News. "But it does tell me that their primary sexual interest is in adults. They're highly unlikely to directly harm a child."
Also included in the 50,000 would be younger teenage boys looking at images of girls under 18, he added.
Last week Mr Bristow apologised after Ceop sat on information it had about 2,000 British paedophiles for more than a year.Last week Mr Bristow apologised after Ceop sat on information it had about 2,000 British paedophiles for more than a year.
Information on the men was sent to UK authorities by Toronto Police in July 2012, as part of an international investigation, Operation Spade, into suspected paedophiles.Information on the men was sent to UK authorities by Toronto Police in July 2012, as part of an international investigation, Operation Spade, into suspected paedophiles.
But it was not passed on to police forces until more than 12 months later in November 2013.But it was not passed on to police forces until more than 12 months later in November 2013.