MORE than 170 people from Worcestershire, including 25 from Redditch, have looked for help to stop online viewing of sexual images of children.

171 people from Worcestershire visited the Stop it Now! Get Help website in the last 12 months to access online help to stop either their own viewing of online sexual images of children, or that of a loved one.

In addition, a further 16 men from Worcestershire called the confidential Stop it Now! helpline over the same period to get help to stop viewing sexual images of children online.

The helpline offers anonymous, effective support for those worried about their own online sexual behaviour, or that of someone else.

The figures come at a time when the police are reporting an escalation in online viewing and sharing of child abuse images.

Chris Singer, from West Mercia and Warwickshire Police, said: “Changing offending behaviour is a critical part of efforts to reduce the sexual exploitation of children, and Stop It Now! has proved to be a very effective tool to help offenders and potential offenders step away from the path they are on, and gain access to the help that they need to address their behaviours.

"The fact that other people can also use the service where they have concerns is also critically important, helping to create an environment where the safety of children is the primary concern, and where those who are having inappropriate thoughts about sexual behaviour with children can be afforded the opportunity to change.

"We welcome this work, which can help to change lives for the better and crucially, keep children safe.”

The Get Help website (get-help.stopitnow.org.uk) is operated by Stop it Now!, a sexual abuse prevention campaign run by child protection charity, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

The website offers self-help tools and resources to help users address their behaviour and stop looking at online sexual images of children.

Steve Davies, from The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, said: "The majority of men tell us that, being arrested was a real wake-up call and were actually glad the police had intervened.

"Many knew what they were doing was wrong, but really struggled to change their abusive online behaviour on their own. That’s where our work at Stop it Now! comes in.

"We work with these men to help them understand the harm they have caused the children in these images, and also the serious consequences for them and their families if they don’t get to grips with their online behaviour."

He added: "There are still tens of thousands of men out there now viewing sexual images of under 18s. We need to get to them too, to help them understand what they are doing is illegal and incredibly harmful to the children and young people in the images – and importantly to stop.”