Over 81,000 Londoners called the lucy faithfull foundation’s helpline stop it now
Children as young as 12 are being exposed to vast amounts of online pornography, leading them to seek out increasingly extreme and illegal content, a charity has warned.
Experts at the Lucy Faithfull Foundation say that easy access to explicit material is causing young boys to become desensitised, pushing them towards violent, degrading, or extreme content—including depictions of women being choked. From there, some are led to search for illicit child abuse material, a deeply concerning trend the organisation has observed.
The charity runs the Stop It Now helpline, which provides confidential support to individuals at risk of offending—some as young as 12 but generally older. The helpline has seen a significant increase in calls, not only from young people but also from their parents and partners of adult offenders.
A growing crisis
Newly released figures reveal that 81,426 Londoners—nearly a third of all UK callers—sought help from Stop It Now in 2024. The increase highlights a growing problem that many families are struggling to address.
Jenny Taylor, a Stop It Now call advisor with 15 years of experience, told The Standard:
“We’re willing to speak to anyone. It could be a family member, a friend, but predominantly it’s offenders or potential suspects getting in touch.
“The first thing parents say is, ‘Oh my goodness,’ because they had no idea of the impact. They fear this will ruin their child’s future and stay on their record.
“We listen to their concerns and see how we can help.”
Ms Taylor highlighted a worrying trend: an excessive and problematic use of legal pornography leading to the viewing of indecent images of children.
“We can understand why children might want to see sexual images of their own age group rather than someone 20 or 30 years older, but it is illegal.”
The issue is not confined to a specific demographic, as offenders come from all walks of life, Ms Taylor added.
“Many have never even had a parking ticket before. These aren’t career criminals.”
Justice system overwhelmed
Vicky Young, head of Stop It Now, warned that the criminal justice system cannot cope with the number of people accessing child abuse images.
She revealed that around 100 calls to the helpline go unanswered every day, as demand for their services outstrips capacity.
Recent high-profile cases have further highlighted the scale of the issue. In November 2023, ex-BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards was handed a six-month suspended sentence following his arrest for possessing illegal images. Meanwhile, Richard Ehiemere, a 21-year-old from Hackney, is due to be sentenced in May for downloading indecent images of children.
Ms Young stressed that half of the 275,000 Britons who contacted Lucy Faithfull last year were concerned about their own online behaviour. She urged individuals to seek help before facing the devastating consequences of a police raid.
“We want to help people stop this behaviour as early as possible,” she said.
“Families are shattered. The risk of suicide and self-harm among those arrested is incredibly high.
“It starts with adult pornography, but then people spend more time online, pushing boundaries as their previous content no longer excites them. Unfortunately, extreme material is not difficult to find.”
A call for action
A recent survey by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation found that:
- 40% of 2,520 adults admitted to watching pornography.
- Over a quarter said their viewing habits had increased.
- 19% were concerned that the content they watched had become more aggressive or extreme.
To combat this, the organisation advises at-risk individuals to change their broadband settings to block adult content.
Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, echoed the charity’s concerns.
More Read
“Online child abuse continues to grow in both prevalence and severity. New technology makes it easier than ever to access illegal material.
“The Lucy Faithfull Foundation plays a vital role in stopping those who could pose a risk to children. I strongly encourage anyone worried about their online behaviour to seek help now—don’t wait for it to escalate.
“Protecting children from harm is a responsibility we all share. While the police work every day to target the most dangerous criminals, technology companies must do more to regulate and control access to harmful content.”
‘I thought someone had died’ – the reality of offending
One former offender, Greg, in his mid-30s from Wales, shared his experience of being caught.
“I started off watching adult porn, but over time, I needed more extreme content to get the same thrill.
“One day, there was a knock on the door while I was at home with my wife. At first, I thought the police had come to tell me a family member had died.
“When they told me I had been caught, it was terrifying and crushing—for me and my wife.”
Greg was under investigation for nearly two years, before receiving a conditional caution and being placed on the sex offenders register for two years.
“There’s still a lot in my life I need to fix, but with my wife’s support and help from Lucy Faithfull, I believe I will never reoffend.
“I am now two years sober from any form of pornography.
“For the first time, I feel free from addiction.”
As concerns mount over the ease of access to extreme online content, campaigners are calling for urgent action to better protect vulnerable young people and prevent future harm.
