Responding to reports about decriminalising the viewing of indecent images of children, Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England said:
“I have written to the Police to raise my concerns about today’s reports. Viewing indecent images of children is a criminal offence and must be dealt with by the police as such. To suggest it should be decriminalised is wholly inappropriate and sends the message that it is a victimless crime, which it is not. Its victims can suffer immense and lasting harm. People who view child abuse images online pose a risk to children and treating offenders as criminals acts as a deterrent to others. If the police do not have the resources to deal with these criminals, they need to make the case for more money to do so.”