Cheshire Police have arrested 21 men as part of a national operation to target online sex offenders.
Cheshire Constabulary is one of 45 police forces taking part in a nationally coordinated operation to target online paedophiles.
The six-month operation, coordinated by the NCA and involving police forces across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland has led to the arrest of 660 suspected paedophiles and the safeguarding of more than 400 children across the UK.
Some of those arrested had unsupervised access to children in the course of their work. They include doctors, teachers, scout leaders, care workers and former police officers. Of the 660, 39 people were Registered Sex Offenders but the majority of those arrested had not previously come to law enforcement′s attention.
The operation targeted people accessing indecent images of children online. It has stayed covert until this week in order to protect children, identify offenders and secure evidence. Police and the NCA are not revealing the methods they used to track down suspects so that they can use the same tactics again in the future.
So far charges brought range from possessing indecent images of children to serious sexual assault. The 21 men who have been arrested are on bail pending further police enquiries. Six of them were from the eastern division, nine from Warrington, three from Halton and three from the western region.
Superintendent Geraint Jones of the Cheshire Constabulary said, "There is no hiding place for those who seek to abuse children in Cheshire. The Constabulary has a dedicated team whose role is relentlessly to pursue the online paedophile, and ensure they are brought to justice. That team has worked long and hard in support of Operation Notarise, and 21 people have been arrested and are on bail. More arrests will be made − our work will continue. We also work very closely with our partners in safeguarding to protect those children who are vulnerable to exploitation."
NCA Deputy Director General Phil Gormley said: "This is the first time the UK has had the capability to coordinate a single targeted operation of this nature. Over the past six months we have seen unprecedented levels of cooperation to deliver this result.
"Our aim was to protect children who were victims of, or might be at risk of, sexual exploitation. A child is victimised not only when they are abused and an image is taken. They are re-victimised every time that image is viewed by someone.
"Some of the people who start by accessing indecent images online go on to abuse children directly. So the operation is not only about catching people who have already offended − it is about influencing potential offenders before they cross that line
"We want those offenders to know that the internet is not a safe anonymous space for accessing indecent images, that they leave a digital footprint, and that law enforcement will find it".
If you have concerns about someone you know or information you wish to share you can contact police on the non emergency number 101. Information can also be left anonymously on the Crimestoppers hotline 0800 555 111.
