In 2024, cases of online child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom increased significantly. Police in England and Wales recorded 122,768 child sexual abuse and exploitation offences, a 6% increase from 2023. Of those, 51,672 (42%) were linked to online abuse, a 26% increase year-on-year. A statistic my dad would be included in.

My dad was arrested in August 2024 for attempting to communicate sexually with a child and attempting to show sexual images to a child. He was not charged until October 2025,14 months later. The Crown Prosecution Service attributed the delays in part to a backlog in digital evidence testing. However, long delays harm victims and families and allow those who have admitted serious sexual offences to remain unmonitored for extended periods. This is not unique to our family: police recorded nearly 38,685 child sexual abuse image offences in a single year, averaging more than 100 per day, highlighting the volume of online cases that demand urgent attention.

During the time between arrest and sentencing, he faced no restrictions, was not on the Sex Offenders Register, and was free to travel abroad and continue life as normal. When he finally attended court in October 2025 and pleaded guilty to both charges, no one informed my immediate family or me of the plea, the outcome, or the sentencing. We had to discover this all ourselves through phoning the court and finding a news excerpt online. Even after he pleaded guilty, there would be a 2-month delay until sentencing, during which he was still free to go about his normal life. This caused a lot of concern and anger in our family as we felt his crimes had been forgotten about and feared he would never see justice for his actions. I don’t believe he has even now.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) removed a record 275,655 webpages containing child sexual abuse imagery in 2023, over 107,000 of which depicted children under the age of 10. Further, men who reported online sexual offending behaviours against children also report being 2-3 times more likely to seek sexual contact with children between the ages of 10-12 years old if they were certain no one would find out. This illustrates the magnitude and immediacy of the risk to children and why timely intervention is crucial.

On 21 January 2026, I learned, through my own Google search, that my dad had been sentenced eight days earlier. At no point during the 18 months between his arrest and sentencing was I contacted by the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, or any other agency, despite being an immediate family member directly affected by the emotional impact of his offences.

His sentencing felt like one last blow to us all. A known danger and risk to young people, and he only received a one-year sentence suspended for 18 months, 15 days of rehabilitation activity, 10 years on the sex offenders register and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. In comparison, minor offences that pose far less risk to others, such as public order offences, sometimes result in immediate imprisonment, while serious offences against children can result in suspended sentences and long delays.

I am a 27-year-old woman. I was raped when I was 18 by an ex-partner. I was an adult when it happened, yet I continue to live with the pain, confusion, and depression that abuse leaves behind. The trauma of sexual harm has long-lasting, devastating effects, and I cannot begin to imagine the irreparable harm, fear, and confusion my father has potentially caused to a child through his actions. Knowing that someone I loved and trusted could inflict that kind of damage on another human being fills me with heartbreak and anger that I carry every day.

Until August 2024, I had a close relationship with my dad. We had a relatively normal family life. My parents were married for 28 years, he was a granddad to my sisters’ three children, and someone I believed genuinely cared for and protected his family. I still vividly remember the moment I first heard the news of his arrest, the tone of my mum’s voice over the phone made it feel like I was hearing he had died. In that instant, my entire world shifted. In a million years, I never imagined that the man I had loved and trusted could commit acts so vile.

I don’t believe I will ever fully understand what he has done, nor do I really want to. What he has done is irreparably harmful, and the grief, anger, and betrayal I feel are ongoing. I grieve the man I thought I knew, the family we had, and the sense of safety I once felt. Every day, I mourn not just the life we had but also the opportunity for my family and me to process and heal from these events in a normal, supported way. Living with this knowledge is a constant, painful reminder of how one person’s actions can destroy trust, safety, and the lives of those around them.

My goal is to create real reform to first and foremost protect our children from these vile crimes, and for the family members of offenders to receive the support they require. To achieve this, processes need to be quicker, investment into technology and resourcing must be made, and families must be properly supported. Outlined below are our demands:

What we’re asking for:

1. Police Contact and Family Support

Immediate family members of individuals under investigation for serious sexual offences, including online child sexual abuse, should receive:

• Timely notification of arrest, charge, plea hearings, and sentencing outcomes.
• Clear, accessible information about every stage of the criminal justice process.
• Access to trauma-informed mental health support, free of charge.
• Named points of contact within the police and CPS to answer questions and provide updates.

Rationale: Families experience severe psychological distress when left uninformed. This is not an inconvenience; it is harm that can last for years.

2.  End Excessive Delays, Mandatory Interim Safeguards

• Individuals who plead guilty to sexual offences involving children should be placed on the Sex Offenders Register immediately upon plea.
• While investigations are ongoing, courts should have the power to impose interim safeguarding orders and public protection measures, not just post-sentencing.
• Significant funding must be allocated to reduce digital evidence backlogs and strengthen specialist CPS and police teams.

Rationale: Extended delays leave children and families at risk, and allow individuals who have committed serious offences to live without oversight.

3. Support for Family Name Changes

• Immediate family members of convicted sexual offenders should be offered free and straightforward assistance to change their name if desired.
• This should be funded and supported through a government scheme, just as offenders themselves can access legal name changes.

Rationale: The stigma attached to sexual offences can lead to lifelong social, professional, and psychological harm for innocent relatives.

4. Review of Sentencing Guidelines for Digital Child Sexual Exploitation

The sentence my dad received was:

A one-year sentence suspended for 18 months, 15 days of rehabilitation activity, £85 in prosecution costs, and a £187 victim surcharge, plus a 10-year Sex Offenders Register term and Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

I believe this fails to reflect the seriousness of digital child sexual exploitation and the systemic risks it poses.

We ask that:

• Sentencing guidelines should be reviewed to ensure appropriate custodial sentences for those guilty of online sexual offences against children, particularly where there is evidence of grooming behaviour.
• Rehabilitation requirements and monitoring conditions should be strengthened and better resourced.

Rationale: Many perpetrators of online sexual harm receive suspended sentences or minimal custodial time, which can erode public confidence in justice and fail to adequately protect children.

Closing Statement

Online child sexual abuse and exploitation are public safety crises. Families like mine should not be collateral damage in a system that fails to communicate, safeguard, or act with urgency. We ask Parliament to act now to ensure swift justice, informed families, and the protection of children.