Breakfast live from CEOP
On Monday morning we are broadcasting from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) in London. You may not have heard of them - but these are the people dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse, both in the virtual world and the real world.
Their skills range from law enforcement and intelligence, to covert operations and education. Since it was set up 2 years ago CEOP's global taskforce has been instrumental in the arrest of 240 child sex offenders and has dismantled 3 international paedophile networks.
Throughout this morning's programme, we'll be behind the scenes at CEOP headquarters.
If you've been affected by any of the issues that we talk about this morning, or if you believe a child has been a victim of sexual abuse, is at risk of abuse, or if you've suffered yourself - there are several organisations you can contact to report a crime or receive advice, Click here for more details.
You can also call the BBC Action Line for sources of further information and support on: 0800 055 055
We will be speaking to Tracy Edwards about her role at CEOP after 8am this morning.
Watch the video below to hear Tracy's story.
Tracy has also written a blog entry for us and you can read it below.
Hello, I'm Tracy Edwards, former round the world yachtswoman. I hope that my blog will explain my journey from life at sea to the work I am currently engaged in at the CEOP Centre - two very different but challenging roles.
In 1989 I put together the first ever all-female crew to sail around the world. Our boat 'Maiden' competed in the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race coming second overall and winning two legs outright. This is still the best result for a British boat since 1977. In 1998 I managed and skippered the first all-female crew to attempt the non-stop round the world record. We broke seven world records (all of which we still hold) but lost our mast in the Southern Ocean before we could complete the circumnavigation. It took 17 days but we managed to reach the safety of Chile without outside assistance.
In 1999 my daughter was born and I retired from sailing as did not want to risk my life at sea any more. In 2002 I managed 'Maiden II' with the first ever professional mixed team. 'Maiden II' broke, amongst other records, the fastest world sailing record ever with its trans-Atlantic crossing in 2002.
In 2003 I signed a £6 million sponsorship deal with the Crown Prince of Qatar to stage the first ever round the world sailing event to start and finish in the Middle East. I moved to Qatar with my daughter to run the event. To stage the event we had to build a marina and bring the four fastest racing multihulls in the world to Qatar. The Oryx Quest started in February 2005 and was hugely successful, generating $46million of Media in Qatar's key target markets. Unfortunately my company was not paid for the event and consequently went under. As I had borrowed £8 million to fund the event I was forced into bankruptcy and lost my house, after being held illegally in Qatar for 28 days.
Arriving back in the UK in September 2005 I pretty much had to start my life from scratch. My daughter and I moved to London and I started doing motivational talks again with the added subject of 'going under' (in the financial rather than the seafaring sense!) and having to get back on my feet again. Slowly but surely we rebuilt our lives and my attention turned towards what I was going to do next. Every cloud has a silver lining and mine was that, for the first time in 20 years I did not feel pressured into taking on another sailing challenge. I could stand still and make a focused and clear decision on where I wanted my life to go.
I spoke to the NSPCC. I knew that I wanted to work in child protection as I had seen child trafficking first hand in the Middle East and felt compelled to learn more. The NSPCC suggested that I visit the CEOP Centre to learn about the work that they do and how I might be able to help. I met CEOP's Chief Executive Officer Jim Gamble and was totally blown away by what he told me. I had no idea about the risks to young people online and the number of abusive images of children on the internet. I knew that was where I wanted to be.
When I heard that CEOP was looking for a Project Manager to run the first ever International Youth Advisory Congress, I applied. Although I did not yet know much about the subject matter, it was a project that involved all the basic elements of running a sailing project: raising the funding, sourcing the people and managing the teams. When I got the job I realised that this was actually my first proper job! My mother was ecstatic!
Since starting work at CEOP in September 2007 I have leant more than I thought possible. The holistic approach of CEOP means that I have had access to the amazingly skilled, talented and professional people that work in this area. It meant that I could construct the sponsorship proposal in a month and also learn about other elements of what CEOP does that have really helped me with the overall project.
IYAC will bring together 200 young people from all over the world to host, facilitate and participate in their own conference in London in July this year. The conference provides a platform from which the delegates can advise industry, government, law enforcement and media on issues of safety and security online.
During the past seven months IYAC has slowly but surely come together and I am so excited to be a part of this project. The Charter that will be produced as a result of the conference will be taken through the 2008 Resolution for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which will give it the scope that is needed. The opportunity to collate so much information from the young people and use that information constructively will make a huge difference to how safety and security online is managed by those who ultimately bear the responsibility of keeping the most vulnerable members of our society safe and secure.
This is the most important and challenging project I have ever worked on and I love my job! I feel so honoured to work with the people at CEOP and to be a small part of something so important.
For further information visit.
CEOP
International Youth Advisory Congress
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CEOP:
I hope that society does it part to prevent
Child Sex Abuse in this world.....
I hope that this programme went well....on the 18th April 2008.
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This sounds to me like the "churnalism" that Nick Davies wrote about in his book Flat Earth News. The figures you provide are those of CEOP, an organisation that I have heard so many times getting free and uncritical air time on the BBC that I'm beginning to think they have some hold over the organisation.
I'm all in favour of preventing children (or adults for that mature) being abused in any way at all, even by the police and our government, but I have the feeling that I'm on the end of a lot of spin that is designed to reinforce this organisation's budget.
Perhaps you could tell me whether any proper journalistic investigation has taken place or are the BBC happy to be a mouthpiece for any organisation that claims to be saving us all from unimaginable horrors?
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Shelagh and Nicky.
Hard to hear because of todays subject but I did - hear parts of it at least. CEOP, well done so far.
The saucer section of the starship Enterprise when detached from the main ship "makes a formidable weapon" Worf the Klingon said on my TV last week.
Though not medically qualified, I think I reattached my "childhood in care" section of myself to the older calloused part of me, when I was made aware of half siblings overseas more than 2 years back.
I now wished I hadn't - Klung on to it, I mean.
It cannot be seperated again and the cared for child section can still be hurt. No formidable weapon.
I hope CEOP becomes one though. I really do.
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I am a Mum of two boys aged 14 and 17 and they are always surfing the internet, so it is a worry to not always know what they are coming across online.
I find it really comforting to hear this morning's stats and know that CEOPs are monitoring the internet and cracking down on child sex offenders. The issue seems to be really highlighted at the moment which is a really positive step forward, only last week I saw something in The Sun about protecting your children online, a new package called Sentry Parental Controls. I bought it for our house and it has really put my mind at rest to know I can monitor any problems my boys encounter when they are surfing the internet.
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CEOP have no idea how many of their so called arrests were charged or went to jail. CEOP do not actually arrest people or anything, they take packages from the FBI and RCMP and ask a county force to do the needful.
CEOP have no data on what happens, I know more than they do. It is my job. It is entirely possible the average paralegal I have working with me has detected more pedophiles than Jim Gamble, I'd stake money on it.
'That information wasn't so forthcoming. When I spoke to Ceop this afternoon, a spokesman said that the organisation didn't actually know how many of those arrests had resulted in legal action. He said that this was because Ceop worked in conjunction with a wide range of local and international forces, and it didn't keep track of how cases had progressed. "These cases by their nature take a long time to come to court," he said.'
The Guardian had a far better take on it. That piece is more accurate. I doubt if Jim Gamble has ever arrested a pedophile or been in a room with one.
He certainly doesn't talk as if he has ever tracked one down and arrested one. I can tell by listewning to him, it is that kind of work, of course I started young, I was abused myself. In my honest opinion, I don't think Gamble has even met a pedophile.
Tazia
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"The figures you provide are those of CEOP, an organisation that I have heard so many times getting free and uncritical air time on the BBC that I'm beginning to think they have some hold over the organisation."
The FBI think that BBC journalists are given bungs, from the teacher unons and from the British security services. In my opinion the BBC let the press relese write the story. I've never met a BBC journalist who knew anything about CEOP that wasn't nonsense. CEOP are a steam release valve for the FBI, for when pedophiles do *important* children, in America.
In the USA they arrest many thousands of teachers, and I know that CEOP have been ordered not to arrest any unless the FBI, RCMP, or Interpol insist.
The CEOP precursor (NCIS) would probably have been warned about Haut de Garenne and a dozen other places. However, as the FBI wasn't involved, why should they do anything, even today, as soon as the packet is bounced to a county force, they forget about it?
The agency the man on the Clapham Omnibus, thinks is keeping track of pedophiles, have less idea than I do. CEOP are the ultimate Home Office hype vehicle.
THe BBC are just very gullible.
Tazia
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"I hope that society does it part to prevent
Child Sex Abuse in this world....."
Last time I looked CEOP had one walk-in off a web-site, strictly speaking, I've done far better.
That one single pedophile might still be it. They are reactive as a rule.
It is highly unlikely that CEOP have detected a single network in two years. I'd bet more or les any money on that. YOu can tell from the presser that they're taking packets from the FBI. The Reuters wording more or less spelt that out.
What you are reading about is the work of the RCMP, FBI and a little from Austria, Australia and Italy.
I think CEOP essentially do hostel jumpers and SOR transients, that sort of work is done by a deputy Sheriff with a wonky leg in the USA.
CEOP are not even allowed to look at LIST 99, by the way, the FBI and RCMP stuff (on the oher hand) will be linked to LIST 99, the hard way.
They find Brit teacher causing mayhem in Alberta and sure enough he was referred to LIST 99, he may even have his own 'false allegation' page on the BBC's other completely spoof news project which is the NASUWT.
Operation Chandler for example, a teacher there was banned from every school in Bedfordshire, for sex crime, he goes to Hertfordshire, at another school, DfES won't ban him.
He then does 261 schoolgirls, some American, FBI/RCMP ask CEOP to finish him off before he does even more. CEOP could have done him before he left Bedfordshire, but they're not allowed to do teachers.
THe DfES have a veto or ban on child pornography operations related to List 99, or the teachers unions do, which is the same thing and the sordid truth of the matter.
CEOP have been 'mandated' not to do teachers and that's the prime market for pedophilia, they run the big networks. They do the secret camera filming, they have the person to person links.
CEOP are out of the loop waiting for the FBI to give them a call.
Tazia
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After reading these comments, I noticed Sally000's post on Parental Control Software and decided to download that free trial at http://www.sentryparentalcontrols.co.uk/ and it has worked great! I'm going to buy it by the time my trial runs out.
Thanks for the tip!
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