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Sex gangs grooming children as young as 10, says leading charity

Sexually exploited children as young as 10 are being used bought, abused and thrown away by sex gangs in Britain a leading children's charity said today.

Sexually exploited children as young as 10 are being used bought, abused and thrown away by sex gangs in Britain a leading children's charity said today. Barnardo's has called on the government to appoint a minister with specific responsibility for the escalating issue of organised on-street grooming gangs.

But child trafficking goes beyond sexual abuse, according to a second report out today, with European children being sold into UK criminal gangs for an average price of £16,000, and being forced to steal.

The call for a minister with direct responsibility comes as the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) revealed the extent of the crime, with 21 of its 22 of its teams across the country having uncovered evidence of organised grooming and trafficking.

Barnardo's says it is currently working with more than 1,000 children who have been groomed, abused and trafficked for money, but that the number represents only 'the tip of the iceberg'.

The charity also warned that the grooming of teenagers was being overlooked as social workers were preoccupied with younger children. 

Ceop has begun a study 'to identify any patterns of offending, victimisation or vulnerability' but is keen for the debate to focus on the welfare of the victims.

Anne Marie Carrie, Barnardo's new chief executive, said the children had 'been forgotten as discussion has focused on the ethnicity of perpetrators in high-profile cases.

'Children are being passed from man to man, home to home, city to city.

'It's the domestic trafficking of children for money.

Read more about this at the Mail online.