More positive results for Online Child Abuse Investigation Unit

Following a great start to the year, positive results which protect children in this county continue to be achieved by Northamptonshire Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Unit (OCAIU).

The OCAIU sits within the Force’s Protecting Vulnerable People Command and works to bring people who view and distribute indecent images of children, or who groom, incite and facilitate sexual activity with children through use of the internet, to justice.

Between April and June this year, the team have executed three warrants, safeguarded 43 children, made 34 arrests and remanded six people who have attempted to make contact with children.

During this time they have also seen 13 people convicted and sentenced for their crimes.

These convictions have included a 44-year-old man sentenced to six years and one month in prison for a number of charges including sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming.

A 51-year-old man was sentenced to three years and four months in prison in connection with arranging/facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13 years of age.

Whilst a 41-year-old man was sentenced to two years and two months in prison for distributing indecent images of children.

Detective Inspector Matt Haworth, said: “We had some really positive results in the first three months of this year and as promised in March when we publicised them, we have continued working hard to bring more offenders to justice and safeguard more vulnerable children.

“Every single day, all of the team come to work with a passion to protect young people – to safeguard them and to get them out of harm’s way. Every second counts and as a result, we do not simply wait for referrals to come in but instead proactively seek out offenders.

“I hope these results demonstrate the commitment we have to safeguarding children in Northamptonshire and again, I want to reassure the public that we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of online predators and will be back later in the year to update the public on our continued successes.”