Policing leaders have welcomed a new HMICFRS spotlight report examining the policing response to online child sexual abuse and the management of registered sex offenders, while stressing the urgent need for sustained, system-wide action to keep children safe.

The report highlights the growing scale and complexity of online child sexual abuse across England and Wales and the significant pressures facing officers and staff working in this challenging and highly specialist area. Inspectors found that demand for investigations has increased sharply in recent years, with referrals from the National Crime Agency rising by more than 60 percent in a single year. This growth has placed increasing strain on policing resources, specialist capabilities and digital forensics, with delays in some cases risk prolonging harm to children.

HMICFRS recognises the dedication and commitment of officers and staff, noting examples of innovative and effective practice in some forces. However, it concludes that the overall response is not yet meeting the scale of the threat and that national leadership, investment and coordination are essential to delivering lasting improvement.

Responding to the report, A/Chief Constable Becky Riggs, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Child Protection, said:

“We welcome this important HMICFRS report and the clear recommendations it makes for policing at both force and national level. Protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation online remains one of the most complex and rapidly evolving threats we face, and the findings rightly reflect the significant pressures on officers and staff working tirelessly in this area.

“Policing is fully committed to acting on these recommendations; however, as this report underlines, policing cannot tackle this threat in isolation. Keeping children safe online requires sustained, collaborative action across wider law enforcement, Government, third sector partners and technology and software companies, all of whom have a vital role to play.

“The scale, pace and sophistication of online offending is increasing, and our response must keep pace. Through continued partnership working, improved capability, and a shared determination to put children first, we can strengthen prevention, disrupt offenders earlier and better safeguard children from harm.”

The report makes a series of recommendations spanning both local forces and national bodies, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), College of Policing and Home Office. These focus on improving workforce capacity, strengthening specialist training, modernising digital capability and ensuring a more consistent national approach to investigating online child sexual abuse and managing registered sex offenders.

Policing is already working with partners to address many of these issues, including contributions to national discussions on training standards, digital forensics capacity and the use of technology to identify and disrupt offending earlier. The NPCC will carefully consider the findings and work closely with Government, inspectors and policing partners to drive progress against the recommendations.

Online child sexual abuse is a crime that crosses force boundaries and national borders, and its prevention requires coordinated action beyond policing alone. Technology companies, regulators, charities and wider public services all play a critical role in prevention, reporting, safeguarding and victim support.

Policing leaders agree with the report’s central message: without sustained, collaborative action and investment, the risk to children will continue to grow. By working together across agencies and sectors, policing aims to strengthen the collective response, improve outcomes for victims and ensure that protecting children remains a priority.