LET’S keep our children safe from predators: that’s the message from Essex Police on National Child Exploitation Awareness Day (18 March).

Today aims to highlight that we all have a part to play in safeguarding children and by adopting a zero tolerance towards those who try to exploit children, we can help prevent children suffering in silence.

Detective Sergeant Ben Rushmere, who leads the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Proactive Investigation Team, said; “Put simply, child exploitation is a form of child abuse. When our children are born, we love, nurture and cherish them. But some of our children may be targeted by predators who would see them as vulnerable and someone to take advantage of.

“Some children won’t realise they are being groomed when they are being given money, gifts or friendship from someone who they think they know well. But a predator will want something in return and teenagers under 18 may be persuaded, coerced or forced into sexual situations as a sign of showing their gratitude.
“Child sexual exploitation may also occur online with predators asking children to post sexualised images of themselves. 
“That’s where my team comes in.”

The Child Sexual Exploitation Proactive Investigation Team was launched July 2020 to investigate CSE crimes as reported by victims or cases referred from partner organisations. The specialist team is formed of nine detectives who come from a range of policing backgrounds to bring together their expertise and skills. They investigate allegations where victims provide accounts of their abuse and target those suspects that hold the highest risk for exploiting children and young people and to mitigate the risk they pose. 

Warning signs for parents and adults of a child or young person being in an exploitative relationship can vary. Some examples are:
going missing from home or care
physical injuries
misuse of drugs or alcohol
involvement in offending
repeat sexually transmitted infections, pregnancies or terminations
absenteeism from school
deterioration in physical appearance
evidence of online sexual bullying
evidence of vulnerability on social networking sites
emotional distance from family members
receiving gifts from unknown sources
recruiting others into exploitative situations
poor mental health
self-harming
thinking about or attempting suicide


DS Rushmere goes on to explain: “Two of the biggest obstacles to reporting this type of crime appears to be the fear of not being believed and embarrassment; talking about CSE takes courage, but once we know the basics, we can keep in touch with the victim using their preferred choice of communication including texting. It allows us to check up on their welfare, provide support and progress the investigation. If a young person doesn’t want to tell police, they don’t have to; there are other opportunities to report CSE to trained professionals from the many children’s charities we work alongside; they will provide bespoke care packages and the same level of support and reassurance. And there are always parents, teachers and friends who are willing to help too.”

The team will look at other options open to them to safeguard young people. Any concerns, for example, about a shop where young people congregate and there is evidence that they are being groomed by being given alcohol, drugs or money for sexual favours, the shop would be referred to our partners who hold powers that they could potentially use to tackle some of the issues raised. 
To help get the community involved and raise awareness of CSE, we are delivering  training to taxi drivers so they can recognise the signs of CSE and, if the need arises, they will inform us of their concerns. We are also training hotel staff to watch out for the signs of CSE.

Through the courts, we can apply for Sexual Risk Orders where, if the victim no longer wishes to support a police investigation and we consider a person to be a serious CSE threat to young people, we can still protect the community by setting out conditions that a person must adhere to for a set period of time e.g. not attending a specific location or not making contact with young people on social media. 

Essex Police and the Child Sexual Exploitation Proactive Investigation Team are determined to make Essex as safe as possible for our children. Anyone who attempts to groom or exploit them will be targeted to make CSE stop.

Anyone with information or concerns about a child being groomed or exploited is asked to call us on 101 or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.