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  1. How We Can Help
  2. I am a parent or carer
  3. Ascend
  4. What will happen now?

What will happen now?

What has happened can have a significant impact on your child’s behaviour.  Depending on your child’s age and the methods the offender used, they may have some questions around sex and relationships. If you are unsure what to say, take time to seek advice from professionals but always start with what the child knows. Answer their questions as clearly as possible. You know your child and their level of understating so make it relevant to them. 

The police may have taken a forensic download of your child’s device to secure evidence that may identify who the offender was, and/or to prove they were the person speaking to your child. Where possible they will leave your child with their devices, or at least try to minimise the time your child is without their device.  

Police investigations of this nature can be long and appear drawn out. This is due to: 

  • The backlogs of digital devices processed by digital forensic teams. 
  • An officer having to assess device downloads for relevant data, which can be a huge amount of data on today’s devices.  
  • The sheer volume of cases. 

Police are aware of the impact on the child of not having access to a mobile device and will try to limit this, where they can. This may not be possible in all cases

You may want to consider ensuring the safety settings on the device are set at appropriate levels for your child’s developmental age and understanding.  Further information on safety setting can be found here.

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The making and sharing of explicit images of children is a criminal offence. This is technically still the case where a child has taken or sent an intimate image of themselves. It is important to note however that the police will not be looking to criminalise your child.  

Always ask the police how this incident has been recorded on the police system, so you know what offence(s) they are investigating.  

Initial investigation stage – At this stage you may have just found out facts that are not yet fully clear and the police have to find out if a crime has been committed and by whom. For you, this stage will be focussed on dealing with the emotions generated by the discovery of the abuse, building support for you and your child, and responding to questions to help clarify what has happened. 

Ongoing Investigation stage - The investigation can sometimes take a little time, particularly if a forensic team needs to examine equipment, but the police should keep you updated and if you have any concerns, you can always speak to the investigating officer.  Ensure you have their contact details. 

Your child may be asked to give a ‘witness statement’. These are usually visually recorded interviews (VRI) and if the case does proceed to court, it can be used as their evidence. If your child does not want to be recorded, you can ask for an audio or written statement to be taken instead. Most police stations have separate or specifically built rooms where VRIs are conducted. Sometimes, these rooms are in fact located in a separate building to the police station. The Police understand for most people giving statements or visiting a police station can cause some anxiety so speak to the investigating officer if you or your child are worried about giving a statement. When arranging any interview if the date coincides with any significant events such as birthdays, exams etc, ask for alternative more suitable dates.  

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Outcomes stage – Once the police have completed their investigation, they will discuss with you if it reaches the threshold for being submitted to the Crown Prosecution service (“CPS”).  The CPS are the body that decides whether there is sufficient evidence to charge a person with any offence.  Where police have been unable to find any evidence to prove that any offences have been committed, they will explain why and the next steps.

If the offender is not in the UK, police can pass the case to Interpol.  

All agencies involved understand how frustrating it can be for families to have a lot of questions with few answers. Professionals will be able to give you a very basic overview of some possible outcomes, but it will be a broad overview.  

Useful questions to ask.

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