Campaign encourages potential child sex offenders to seek help

An international campaign is coming to Jersey aimed at preventing child sexual abuse online by targeting offenders and potential offenders.

Last year, more than 200 people in Jersey sought support from 'Stop it Now' with concerns about their own or someone else's sexual thoughts or behaviour towards children.

'Stop it Now' directs anyone concerned about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts or behaviour towards children to anonymous helplines and online self-help information.

The NSPCC is bringing it directly to the island. 

The message is that those seeking to view indecent images of children online can stop and change when educated about the risks to children and themselves.

'Stop it Now' campaign videos have also been released with hard-hitting taglines such as 'Do you fear the knock? and 'Do you fear getting caught?'.

It's hoped this will stop people from looking at sexual images of children, or having sexual conversations with children online.

The campaign also warns of the consequences for offenders, such as potential arrest, jail, and losing your job.

Katherine McGovern from NSPCC Jersey, which brought the campaign to the island, says they want people to know that support is there to prevent the abuse of children:

"Lucy Faithful Foundation has really helpful advice, support and information for anyone who is worried about their own or a loved one's online behaviour.

"It speaks directly to those who, through their own behaviour, pose a risk to children.

"This is about preventing the sexual abuse of children."

Senator Helen Miles, Home Affairs Minister, says Jersey has seen an increase in this sort of offending:

"We've got an online safety political oversight group, and we are working very hard to make sure we're doing everything we can at a very high level to stop these sorts of images, and pornography in particular, from being accessible. 

"It's a challenging campaign, and an interesting one. It's incumbent on me to make sure we are doing everything we can to tackle this sort of offending, also from a prevention and early intervention approach as well."

The anonymous 'Stop it Now' helpline is for people who have sexual thoughts about children or have offended, family members whose loved one has behaved sexually towards children, parents whose children have displayed harmful sexual behaviour, professionals or volunteers working with children or adults affected by abuse, and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. 

You can access support and information here.

Jersey is currently working on its own Online Safety Law.