Wiltshire Police have announced a partnership with a leading child protection charity, as they launch a campaign to tackle the demand for online sexual images of children.

The police force, along with others in the south west, will work with The Lucy Faithfull Foundation to ensure that the charity’s support work is backed up by law enforcement.

The charity works to prevent people from viewing sexual images of children, and to get them to stop if they have already started. In 2017, 195 people in Wiltshire visited the charity’s online self-help resources or called their confidential hotline to seek help for themselves or a loved one.

Detective Superintendent Deb Smith, head of public protection at Wiltshire Police, said: “This campaign is all about reaching out to those who believe it is acceptable to view, create or distribute indecent images of children.

“Viewing and sharing these images is a serious problem. The Lucy Faithfull Foundation provides fantastic work in preventing people from viewing illegal material in the first place, and to get them to stop if they have already started.

“Wiltshire Police take all reports of this nature very seriously and we are constantly working closely with our partners to do all we can to bring offenders to justice, and provide support to victims and their families.

“I’d urge anyone to report signs of child sexual exploitation. No matter how insignificant you may think it is, it could be the vital piece of information that we need to protect a child from serious harm.”

Since 2013, Wiltshire Police have arrested 338 people on suspicion of possessing an indecent photograph of a child, with 164 of those being charged. Over the same timeframe, they have also arrested 286 people on suspicion of making or taking an indecent photograph of a child, with 155 of those being charged.

In a BBC TV interview in October 2016, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead for child protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey, said that at least 100,000 people across the UK were now regularly viewing online sexual images of children.

Donald Findlater, child sexual abuse prevention expert and spokesperson for The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, said: “Too many people, especially men across all age groups, seem to think it is okay to view sexual images of under-18s online.

“It is not. Not only is it illegal, but it causes great harm to the children whose images are used. It also causes harm to those offending and to their families.

“Alongside police activity in arresting more and more offenders, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation has been working over these past two years to develop its response to this growing problem.

“Whether arrested or not, we want online offenders to stop their illegal behaviour and to stay stopped. Our specialist staff have helped thousands to do this over recent years. We have also helped thousands more family members come to terms with the fact that someone they know and love has engaged in this behaviour.”

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation direct offenders to their website at www.get-help.stopitnow.org.uk and the Stop it Now! confidential helpline at 0808 1000 900, where they can get help to address their online behaviour and stop looking at these harmful and illegal images.