Indecent Images of Children Offences Using Social Media Platforms 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021

Keywords

Indecent, Images, Children, Offences, Social, Media, Platforms, Offences, Committed, Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp, Snapchat, iMessage, Telegram, Signal, Twitch, Online, Gaming, Kik, Twitter, Skype, TikTok, Facetime, Discord, Omegle, Distribute, Take, Make, Pseudo, Photographs.

Publication Number

PUB 1389

FOI Reference Number

16619

Request Title

Indecent Images of Children Offences Using Social Media Platforms 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021

Date Range

1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021

Information Requested

Would it be possible for you to conduct a key word search for the following platforms and provide us with a breakdown of the number of offences committed using each of these platforms for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, please?

• Facebook/Facebook Messenger

• Instagram

• Whatsapp

• Snapchat

• iMessage

• Telegram

• Signal

• Twitch

• Online gaming

• Kik

• Twitter

• Skype

• TikTok

• Facetime

• Discord

• Omegle

Disclosure with Exemptions

Full Disclosure

Information Correct as at

24 February 2022

Date of Disclosure

24 February 2022

Related Documents/Links

N/A

FOI 16619 Response

Having completed enquiries within Essex Police in respect of Section 1(1)(a), Essex Police does hold information relating to your request, Essex Police can confirm in respect of Section 1(1)(b) the following data:

Caveats: 

The data is correct as at 24 February 2022.

The date range is as requested, 01 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 (by Crime Created Date).

The below table is broken down by the two Home Office Classification Codes: 086/02 and 086/10, which represent recorded crimes for Indecent Images of Children.

In addition to the above, it is also based on the following keyword search (where the Initial Modus Operandi (MO) “matches pattern” to one or more of the below keywords):

Facebook

Facebook Messenger

Instagram

Whatsapp

Snapchat

iMessage

Telegram

Signal

Twitch

Online gaming

Kik

Twitter

Skype

TikTok

Facetime

Discord

Omegle.

Please note that any keyword search may not be entirely accurate and any results would not necessarily answer your submission, and, therefore, could be highly inaccurate and misleading.

Offence Title	Count of CRN
086/02 - Take or to make or to distribute indecent photographs or pseudo- photographs, of children	267
086/10 - Possession of an indecent or pseudo indecent photo of a child	2
Grand Total	269

Every effort is made to ensure that the data provided by Essex Police is accurate and complete.  However, Essex Police systems are designed primarily for the management of individual cases and not for the purposes of providing data to answer specific FOI enquiries.  Please note although data can be extracted from a number of sources via database queries, the results may be subject to inaccuracies.  Care should be taken to understand our return when considering the interpretation or further use of the data.

The Force Information Management Board chaired by the Deputy Chief Constable has oversight of the Force wide programme of work to improve the quality of Force data.  This work has identified data quality leads in all key areas of the business including the Crime and Public Protection Command.  Liaison between the Force Data Quality Team and the Crime and Public Protection Command lead for data quality will identify and resolve issues through a variety of mechanisms to ensure regular and appropriate supervisory oversight.