Avon and Somerset Police’s specialist teams carried out a day of action as part of Safer Internet Day recognized annually on February 9, checking the internet-enabled devices of registered sex offenders (RSOs).
The sex offender management teams seized 48 devices on Monday and Tuesday from a number of RSOs and carried out close forensic and manual examinations to check for anything that may indicate a relapse in their offending behaviour.
Of the work carried out on the 48 devices the teams uncovered:
- Two with pictures assessed to be Indecent Images of Children. These will now be submitted for full examination by our Digital Forensics Unit
- One with evidence of elimination software being used, which may amount to a breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order
- One with borderline material that could indicate that a relapse into offending is imminent
- One with internet search history that could indicate that a woman in a relationship with an RSO could be at risk of coming to harm
- One indicating that the user has researched how to access the dark web
The teams are now re-scanning 241,000 images discovered yesterday using specialist key word searches which could reveal further offences or behaviour that could lead to offences being committed.
No arrests have currently been made but words of advice have been given to a number of individuals and arrests are likely to me made in the coming days once further investigative work has been carried out.
“Yesterday’s work by the specialist sex offender management teams is a brilliant example of the preventative work we do to keep children and vulnerable people safe from harm," said Detective Chief Inspector Dickon Turner, who runs Avon and Somerset Police’s Integrated Offender Management teams. “As well as our proactive educational work with parents, young people and the professionals who work with them, a key element to reducing risk is managing the behavior of RSOs."
Turner said managing offenders’ behavior is more important than ever, with more than 2,300 RSOs in Avon and Somerset. Additionally, the number of referrals called into the department's internet child abuse team has increased in the past five years, in combination with the fact that everyone, in general, is spending more time online.
“It may surprise some people to know that not all sex offenders are pedophiles and many don’t fit the stereotypes and may be in loving relationships, holding down jobs and families," Turner said. "There is usually a reason behind their offending, such as trauma, abuse or mental health problems, all of which we work to understand and help to manage in order to protect children and vulnerable people. A lot of the RSOs we work with tell us that they wish someone had intervened before their behavior crossed the line into offending. There are signs to look out for that someone you know may be pursuing potentially illegal or sexually predatory behaviour online and organizations that can offer help and support."
Republished courtesy of Avon and Somerset Police.