Leicestershire Police make 90 arrests during Operation Guarding
More than 230 detectives have played a part in the operation designed to crack down on online child abuse
Last updated 2nd Jul 2024
Over 90 arrests have been made by Leicestershire Police as part of a force-wide crack down on online child abuse.
More than 230 detectives played a role in Operation Guarding, which was launched in February to take action against online child abuse referrals.
Since then, the force has:
- Carried out 116 enforcements
- Made 94 arrests
- Screened more than 1200 devices at the scenes of enforcement
- Recovered 640 digital exhibits
Officers and staff including Tactical Support Teams, digital media investigators and intelligence development officers, were all also utilised.
Detective Superintendent Helen Schofield said: "Behind every offence of online child abuse is a child. These are serious criminal offences and it remains a priority for the force to investigate reports received, to identify and arrest suspects and to protect children from harm.
"This was a fast-paced, planned, proactive operation and I want to recognise the hard work and dedication of every officer and staff member involved to get us to this point in a short space of time.
"Of course this is just the first step and our skilled teams are now continuing in their enquiries and working with partners to ensure that where offences have been committed, offenders are brought before the courts, victims are supported and protected and that the right safeguarding is put in place.
"Please continue to report any concerns to us and please continue to follow advice to help keep our children and young people safe online. Steps which can be taken include encouraging children to talk with you about how they use the internet, setting boundaries such as when and where they can use their devices, activating parental controls and making sure young people are aware of the risks of sharing images online. You can find more information, advice and support on the link here - Online child abuse | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk).
"If you have any information regarding online child abuse, please report it to us. You can report online at Home | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk) or by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.