Campaign tackling online child sexual abuse launches in Cornwall
Visits to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation's self-help website trebled in 2023
A campaign tackling online child sexual abuse has been launched in Cornwall.
Run by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, the campaign will see a deeper collaboration between its national helpline, Stop It Now, and charities and organisations across the Duchy.
This includes Cornwall Council, Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Cornwall Sexual Health Referral Centres, and local NHS and safeguarding boards.
It will build upon the Lucy Faithfull Foundation's work on the helpline in the last two years, which allows people who have concerns about theirs or others behaviours and thoughts towards children to seek confidential help.
The campaign's third year will place a greater focus on stopping people viewing sexual images of children.
'Don't pretend it's not going to get you caught'
The charity say 217,889 people from across the UK visited their Stop It Now Get Help website or called their helpline last year, with 13,296 of these people from Devon and Cornwall.
The number of people in Cornwall visiting the website last year trebled from the year before.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, Donald Findlater, the Director of the Stop It Now helpline, says the figures reflect the fact a lot of abuse has been undercover, and "there's always been a crime that's happening at scale."
He said people know now there's a place they can get help.
"I hope the campaign this year will see another increase because more people are hearing about it, and more people are contacting us to get help with their behaviour."
Mr Findlater said it was crucial they engage further with partners in Cornwall.
"These are people on the ground, and they know what the issues are going on there," he said.
"They know the nature of the problem, and they can reach their communities in a way that we can't."
He added anyone who was viewing sexual images of children should immediately contact them for help.
"Don't pretend it's not going to get you caught because it will."
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation are running four webinars to raise awareness of child sexual abuse, and the support available, every Monday from 1-2pm in March.