\u201cThere is a really big discussion I think, as a society, about how we deal with this, that\u2019s much more than law enforcement. Of course, it makes us all feel deeply uncomfortable to think that people who have that involvement in those activities should in any shape or form escape punishment. But the scale of it is just absolutely huge,\u201d<\/em> added Thompson.<\/p>\nThe National Crime Agency estimated in 2015 that there were up to 750,000 men in Britain who were interested in having sex with children. This suggests that as many as one in every 35 adult males is on the pedophile spectrum.<\/p>\n
A 2016 study by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) also suggested that the number of individuals looking at child porn in Britain could exceed half a million.<\/p>\n
At the committee meeting, Thompson was asked by Tory MP Tim Loughton whether there should be alternative prosecutions for those found guilty of viewing indecent images.<\/p>\n
The chief constable replied: \u201cI think if people are in denial that they\u2019ve got a problem, then we need to be really careful that treatment might not work, but I think the broader issue that\u2019s being raised is this is a massive challenge, I think, that goes far beyond policing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nGareth Morgan, the chief constable of Staffordshire Police, told the meeting that the decision to prosecute those who view explicit images of children should not be based on whether police have the resources.<\/p>\n
Thompson\u2019s comments came after Simon Bailey, the National Police Chief\u2019s Council (NPCC) lead for child protection, suggested that pedophiles who view indecent images but do not molest children should not be taken to court.<\/p>\n
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