Police in North and West Devon carry out operation to reduce victims of child sexual exploitation
Police officers in North Devon recently visited a number of hotels in the area, as part of a proactive operation to educate hotel workers on how to spot the signs around child sexual exploitation (CSE).
CSE is a form of child abuse in which young victims are manipulated or forced into participating in sexual activity, often in exchange for money, drugs, or alcohol.
The operation, previously trialled in Plymouth, used a ‘test purchasing’ approach where an undercover police officer and a young female volunteer attempted to book a room in person at various hotels. The aim was to understand whether local businesses were aware of the signs of exploitation and to test the hotel’s response to an adult guest trying to rent a room with a child.
A plain clothed male police officer and a fourteen-year-old female volunteer from a local school visited five different locations across North and West Devon. In all but one of the premises, the male was able to get to the point of payment unchecked or challenged.
Inspector Nella Barker of Devon & Cornwall Police said: “Hotels are often used as a place to exploit and abuse victims of CSE. The aim of the operation was to highlight the risks of CSE and help hotel staff learn more about what they can do, and how they can challenge. We want local businesses to feel confident to tackle the issue and, where necessary, alert police officers to intervene prior to any young person coming to harm.”
The police officer and the female volunteer were accompanied by a local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) who provided advice and education following the interruption of the transaction. The hotels visited were provided with information and display posters to raise awareness of CSE amongst their customers and staff.
Inspector Barker added “This was a successful operation in that it gave us important information which will help us to protect children and young people in Devon. It is vital that our local businesses are alert and aware to any potential safeguarding issues. We will continue to work with local hoteliers to ensure that learnings from this operation have been put into place. I would like to thank our volunteer and all the businesses who engaged with us. I hope we can build a strong relationship in the future.”
Hotels who wish to download and print their own copies of the available posters can do so by visiting https://multisites.devon-cornwall.police.uk/makesafe/spot-the-signs-hotels-and-bbs/
If you suspect a person of carrying out child sexual exploitation, or think someone you know has been a victim, or may be soon, visit www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/cse or call our non-emergency number, 101.
If someone is in immediate danger of harm, please call 999 immediately.
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