North Yorkshire Police have been fully involved in Operation Notarise, a proactive national policing operation targeting suspected paedophiles, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and involving 45 police forces across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
North Yorkshire Police have acted quickly to intelligence provided by the NCA and arrested 10 individuals to date as part of Operation Notarise.
An 11th associated arrest was also made by North Yorkshire Police which was linked to an existing investigation already underway.
Those arrested span the county and are from the Scarborough, York, Selby, Harrogate, Craven and Richmondshire areas. All are male, white north European and aged between 14 and 70. Some are married, some with children of their own, all of whom have been supported and are subject to child safeguarding arrangements with partner agencies.
Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Mason, who is Head of Crime and Justice at North Yorkshire Police, said:
This operation targeted suspected paedophiles accessing child abuse images online. Those responsible for such offending believed they were operating in an environment that was safe for them and would go undetected. The message is a simple one; no such place exists and perpetrators need to be under no doubt whatsoever that this type of offending will continue to be targeted with every effort made to secure criminal convictions and safeguard the children concerned.
These arrests as part of Operation Notarise are indicative of the work going on across police forces around the country, every day, to safeguard and protect some of the most vulnerable members of society. I echo Chief Constable Simon Bailey’s comments that nothing is more important for the police than protecting vulnerable people.We all have a responsibility to protect our children and it is vital that anyone who believes someone is involved in child abuse – which includes viewing images of abuse on their computer or mobile device – tells the police. It cannot , and must not, be kept hidden.
If you suspect a person is viewing child abuse online or abusing or exploiting children, please call the police on 101. In an emergency always call 999.
If you suspect a child you know is being abused, please call the police on 101.
If you are a victim of abuse yourself, no matter how long ago that abuse took place, do not hesitate to call the police. If you prefer not to talk to the police, you can contact Bridge House, North Yorkshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 01904 669 339.
