A WEBSITE that aims to help people stop viewing sexual images of children online had 25 visitors from Redditch last year.
In 2016, the Stop it Now! Get Help website had a total of 171 visits from people in Worcestershire, with 25 of those coming from Redditch.
The sexual abuse prevention campaign run by child protection charity, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, offers self-help tools to help users address their behaviour and stop looking at illegal images of children on the internet.
It also provides information and support to partners and friends of people arrested for, or suspected of, accessing online child abuse websites.
Steve Davies from the Foundation, said: “For many years we have worked with thousands of men who have been arrested for viewing sexual images of children.
“The majority tell us that being arrested was a real wake-up call and were actually glad the police had intervened.
“Many knew what they were doing was wrong, but really struggled to change their behaviour on their own. That’s where our work at “Stop it Now” comes in.
“We work with these men to help them understand the harm they have caused the children in these images, and also the serious consequences for them and their families if they don’t get to grips with their online behaviour. Once they understand this, they become far less likely to re-offend.”
The figures come at a time when the police are reporting a rise across the UK of online viewing and sharing of child abuse images.
Visit www.get-help.stopitnow.org.uk or call 0808 1000 900 to get help.
