PSNI and Lucy Faithfull Foundation launch 'Stop It Now' campaign to tackle child sexual abuse online

The ‘Stop It Now’ campaign, launched on January 15, aims to deter people from online sexual offending against children.

It also signposts to free, anonymous, and confidential support to protect children and find a pathway out of this illegal behaviour.

Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which runs the 'Stop It Now' helpline (0808 1000 900) and website www.stopitnow.org.uk, works to prevent people from offending online in the first place and to get them to stop if they have already started.

In 2025, 83 people in Northern Ireland reached out to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation via calls, online chat and email.

The Stop it Now website was accessed by 6,544 people from Northern Ireland seeking further information for either themselves or someone else.

Sadly, online sexual offences against children are becoming an increasing crime type in Northern Ireland. There were 2,187 sexual offences against children recorded in 2024, 187 of which relate to grooming and sexual communication with a child.

A total of 799 offences relating to taking, possessing, sharing or publishing indecent images of children were reported in 2024.

In the same year, PSNI conducted 228 searches and made 76 arrests from intelligence relating to online child sexual abuse crimes.

Campaign aims to raise public awareness

Police have been working extensively to detect and prosecute people downloading and sharing sexual images of children online.

Detective Chief Inspector Claire McDonald said: "The advancement in technology, accessibility to indecent images of children and the presumption of anonymity whilst offending online has seen an increase in the number of people viewing and sharing indecent images of children and seeking to use the internet to engage with children for sexual purposes. This type of offending is unacceptable.

"As a police service we have a duty to protect children from harm and to deter individuals from committing these types of horrific offences and we will continue to seek to identify and convict those individuals responsible. We will never stop searching online for child predators. My team work incredibly hard and are dedicated to identifying and bringing people before the courts who think their offending can go undetected.

“We are operating covertly in all digital spaces including the dark web to track and target offenders. There is no place to hide. If you are perpetrating online child abuse, it is only a matter of time before we will be knocking on your door.

"We also recognise the need to educate and stop individuals from continuing to offend, or prevent individuals from offending in the first place. Lucy Faithfull Foundation have worked closely with a number of other police forces to successfully divert and prevent offending behaviour, but also support families of offenders in dealing with the wider impact."

Detectives are operating undercover already in digital spaces to catch potential offenders.

Police say evidence-gathering is a very specialist job and can take considerable time and skill to ensure it is of sufficient quality to bring a high risk offender to justice.

DCI McDonald added: “The police are the only lawful accountable authority to investigate suspected criminality. We take great care in gathering robust evidence and while we rely on the public to come forward and report concerns to us, only we should take action against potential perpetrators.

“The safety of victims and innocent family members should be at the forefront, as well as gathering the best possible evidence to put predators before the courts.”

Tom Squire, Head of Clinical Engagement at Lucy Faithfull Foundation, added: “Thousands of people every year seek support from Stop It Now concerned about their online behaviour or sexual thoughts towards children. They come from all walks of life. Through our programmes, online self-help modules, and non-judgmental, action-oriented conversations with our expert helpline advisors, they can find a pathway out of this behaviour and prevent harm from taking place.

“We call on anyone with concerns about child sexual abuse, including their own online habits, to contact Stop It Now anonymously and get support to change their behaviour and protect children.”

‘I felt like I was finally going to get the help I’d needed for years’

Bradley began viewing indecent images of children online in his 20s, and later sought help from the Stop it Now helpline. "In the days leading up to my arrest, my life looked successful from the outside,” he said. “I was 24, earning a six-figure salary, and seemed confident and put-together at work. But privately, I was deeply unhappy. When I was at home, the person people saw in the office disappeared. I used porn and sexting to escape.

“I first accessed porn at around seven years old, and over time my tolerance changed. What once satisfied me stopped working, so I sought out more extreme content. For a long time it stayed within legal boundaries, but eventually I pushed beyond them. It wasn’t a sudden jump – it was a slow progression driven by isolation, stress, shame, and an unwillingness to reach out for help.

"The day I was arrested my first reaction wasn’t anger or denial - it was relief. I felt like I was finally going to get the help I’d needed for years.

“My life has changed dramatically since then. Through support services, like those provided by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, I’ve been able to better understand myself, my compulsions and most important, the harm caused by my action. Shame doesn’t prevent offending - support does. If you’re worried about your sexual online behaviours, know that help is available.”