Working together to prevent online child sexual abuse
Throughout February 2026, more than 30 agencies across Devon, Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly, Bristol, Somerset, and Gloucestershire including NHS, local authorities, and police are campaigning with UK-wide child protection charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF) to prevent online child sexual abuse – as part of their Stop It Now campaign.
This campaign is aimed at men who are either already offending or at risk of offending and signposts them to support to help them stop. By deterring online child sexual abuse, we can protect children from harm and reduce the devastating impact of abuse.
In 2025, 23,000 people across the South West, and 30% increase from 2024, sought help from the Stop It Now helpline or online self-help services, concerned about their own or someone else’s online sexual behaviour towards children.
Law enforcement alone cannot solve the problem of child sexual abuse. Prevention is vital.
The Stop It Now campaign provides people who are worried about their sexual thoughts or behaviour towards children with a safe, anonymous route to seek help. By signposting people to this support, we can prevent them from committing offences, reduce the number of victims, and help keep our communities safe.
About the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and Stop It Now
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation works with:
- Adults who have abused or are at risk of abusing
- Young people displaying harmful sexual behaviour
- Families and friends of those at risk
- Victims and survivors of abuse
- Professionals working with these groups
Stop It Now offers:
- An anonymous helpline, email and live chat service for anyone concerned about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts or behaviour towards children.
- Online self-help modules for people struggling with sexual thoughts or behaviour to work through at their own pace.
- Specialist programmes to reduce risk and support families.
- Targeted deterrence campaigns, nationally and regionally, reaching people at risk of offending online
Impact so far
In 2025, more than 326,000 people in the UK turned to Stop It Now for support about their own or someone else’s behaviour towards children online.
If you are worried about your own behaviour – or about someone else’s – get anonymous and confidential support today from the Stop It Now on 0808 1000 900.