Men Seek Help for Child Abuse Image Addiction

Over the last twelve months or so, 41 men from Merseyside have called a helpline looking for help after becoming addicted to child abuse images, according to a child abuse and exploitation charity.

Lucy Faithfull Foundation

According to figures published by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity that campaigns against the sexual exploitation of children, the men called the foundation’s anonymous helpline between October 2015 and September this year.

A further 20 adults, mainly wives and parents, called the helpline seeking advice as they were concerned about the internet viewing habits of their husband or son.

Stop It Now! Campaign

The foundation’s ‘Stop It Now!’ campaign includes a series of interactive videos in which the viewer must make decisions along the way that determine whether the character – a man from a loving home who becomes addicted to indecent images of children – seeks help or ends up in jail.

The campaign’s helpline received 33 calls between October 2015 and September 2016 from males in Cheshire asking for help with their child abuse image addiction. In that same time, the foundation received 36 calls from men in Greater Manchester and 35 from men in Lancashire also asking for help.

Chief Superintendent Chris Green, from Titan, the North West’s organised crime unit, said:

“Every one of us has a part to play in putting a stop to the sexual exploitation of children online and I would encourage parents, grandparents, teachers, health professionals, social services and any other adults to take time to better educate themselves.

“Titan, working alongside forces across the region, is committed to the protection and wider safeguarding of young people and, in doing so, we will work with partner agencies to, where possible, prevent such abuse and investigate such incidents.”

Child abuse prevention expert and founder of ‘Stop It Now!’ Donald Findlater added:

“Imagine what it is like for a husband and father to have to tell his wife and children that he has been arrested for viewing sexual images of children online, and then having to tell his boss and then his friends.

“We have worked with thousands of men after they have been arrested, all with bitter regrets about the harm they have done to their families, to the victims in the images they viewed and to themselves.

“We need the tens of thousands of men still viewing these images to realise that what they are doing is illegal and to make sure they stop.

“Here at Stop it Now! we give them all the help we can by phone and online – and it is confidential.
“But we also want to hear from wives, partners, parents who are worried about a loved one’s sexual behaviour online.

“We must not turn a blind eye to this behaviour.”

Sexual abuse claims – expert advice

If you have been affected by any instance of physical sexual abuse or by any instance of non-physical sexual abuse, contact us today. We offer expert advice on sexual abuse claims, and we guarantee your confidentiality at all times. For further information, and to discover how we could help you, begin a conversation with our experienced and friendly team. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

Source: Liverpool Echo