NCA predicts rise in online child sexual abuse during coronavirus pandemic

National Crime Agency says offenders are discussing opportunities on chat forums to abuse children during crisis

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The National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned there could be a rise in online child sexual abuse offences during the Covid-19 pandemic as it reveals its most recent intelligence shows there are at least 300,000 people in the UK who pose a sexual threat to children.

The figure, which comes from intelligence pre-dating the coronavirus outbreak, reflects a new assessment of the threat and is far higher than previous estimates. The NCA believes there are a minimum 300,000 individuals in the UK posing a sexual threat to children, either through physical contact abuse or online.

Related: 'I can't know the children are safe': social workers' fears over lockdown

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2UW6xyn