Police Scotland has teamed up with Barnardo’s Scotland to develop a pilot project to tackle child sexual exploitation in Dundee.
Child sexual exploitation is where children are made manipulated into performing sex acts, often in exchange for gifts, money or affection.
In some cases, predators target vulnerable youngsters, often runaways, and work to isolate them from their families before forcing them into prostitution.
The new two-year project will work to reach, protect and support children at risk of child sexual exploitation.
Advisers from the charity’s Reducing the Impact of Sexual Exploitation (RISE) service, will be based in Police Scotland’s Tayside Division headquarters where they will work with officers to identify perpetrators of sexual exploitation and disrupt any networks operating in Dundee.
The programme, funded by Barnardo’s Scotland, Police Scotland and Comic Relief, will be officially launched in Dundee on Wednesday.
Peter Nield, Barnardo’s Scotland’s assistant director, said: “Having advisers co-located within police divisions, and embedded within local child protection arrangements, will help ensure that the right systems and supports are in place which identify and respond to child sexual exploitation and improve outcomes for vulnerable and at risk children and young people”.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Cowie said: “Children across Scotland are being groomed by sexual predators for the purposes of sexual exploitation. We also know that children may not realise that they are being exploited.
“Working with Barnardo’s, we hope to improve the identification of children who may be at risk of child sexual exploitation.
“Child sexual exploitation is often hidden, with perpetrators using violence, coercion and intimidation to exert power over children. Children may not realise they are being exploited or may be too afraid to ask for help.
“We need to recognise the signs, listen to young people and take action against perpetrators.”
Meanwhile, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has warned people not to turn to vigilantism to snare paedophiles in Dundee.
The warning comes after the group Keeping Kids Safe announced that it had identified and confronted a man in the city over his alleged conduct during online chats as part of a “sting” operation.
The group claimed the man conducted chats of a sexual nature with children between the ages of 11 and 14.
Police Scotland confirmed that a 46-year-old man had been arrested in connection with alleged indecent communication offences involving children last week.
A report is currently under consideration by the Procurator Fiscal.
The incident occurred just weeks after Ross Ottaway was confronted by members of a vigilante group at his home in Dundee.
Ottaway faces charges of sending an indecent communication and of having communicated with a child with the intention of making arrangements to meet them.
An NSPCC spokesman said: “We understand that some members of the public want to help, but when they take the law into their own hands, they run the risk of driving offenders underground and jeopardise ongoing police work, which may put more children at harm.”
But Keeping Kids Safe founder Patrick Fripps said: “We offer our services due to the government cuts and the legislation that prevents them from carrying out these undercover covert operations.
“We have been doing this since April 2017 and have had 37 arrests all over England, Scotland and Wales. We also have a 100% conviction rate as our team of over 50 people work day and night and travel all over the UK.”
