A specialist child abuse unit has launched four “serious and complex” investigations in Tayside since its formation this year, the Tele can reveal.
The National Child Abuse Investigation Unit (NCAIU) was set up in January to assist or take over inquiries around Scotland for tackling child sexual exploitation, indecent images of children online and child death.
And officers have even set up fake internet accounts pretending to be young children in an attempt to snare potential groomers.
Detective Inspector Scott Fotheringham, of D Division’s Public Protection Unit, and Aberdeen-based Detective Inspector Jacqui Campbell, of the NCAIU, told the Tele how these tactics have been used across Tayside.
DI Fotheringham said: “The techniques and the capability within Police Scotland now to deal with such matters and target individuals actively grooming young people online is extremely well advanced.
“We’re not just responding to cases that are reported to us, we are proactively targeting those individuals who go online to target young people.”
Since the NCAIU’s formation in January, the PPU in Tayside has had to call on their support on four separate occasions.
All are recent cases and do not involve historic crime. DI Fotheringham and DI Campbell said we could expect to see alleged perpetrators appear before the courts soon.
DI Fotheringham said: “Jacqui and I have regular discussions about investigations ongoing.
“I will sometimes request for support from the NCAIU either to lead an investigation or to support us with an investigation.
“In total, we’ve called on the NCAIU on four separate inquiries since its inception and they are all across Tayside.
“They have been different types of investigations and all have come within the remit of the NCAIU and either been very recently concluded or still ongoing.
“Each time that has involved deployment of officers from all over the north of Scotland into D Division to assist and support the investigation.”
DI Campbell added: “Because the cases are live and they’re not concluded, it might be easy for people to associate with particular offences, so it would be wrong for us to highlight the details of them just now.
“But they all fall into our remit at the NCAIU, which is serious and complex child abuse investigations.
“That might include child sexual exploitation, indecent images of children online and child death.”
The NCAIU now comprises of more than 40 officers nationwide, with teams in Inverness and Aberdeen able to be deployed around Tayside at any time.
DI Fotheringham said the unit’s existence now meant a speedier outcome for victims of child abuse.
He said: “We have received considerable support in the last nine months from the NCIU and suffice to say, without their support, several of these investigations we’ve worked on would have not been progressed as quickly or effectively simply with the resources we have at our disposal in D Division.”
Keiran Watson, of Dundee-based 18 and Under charity, backed the formation of the unit.
He said: “I think this is a great thing.
“One of the long-term problems with the police in child abuse cases has been that there’s a high rotation of officers.
“With a completely dedicated unit, hopefully that trend will change.”