Paedophile Unit

The Paedophile Unit is a branch of the British London Metropolitan Police Service's Child Abuse Investigation Command, based at Scotland Yard. It deals with organised crime and the manufacture and distribution of child pornography, online child grooming and "targeting predatory paedophiles online." The Unit was the subject of a series of BBC television programmes concerning the "Hunt for Britain’s Paedophiles" which were the subject of a record 23,000 calls to the BBC Audience Line. They were responsible for the break-up of the advocacy group called the Paedophile Information Exchange.

The Paedophile Unit works in conjunction with the Hi-Tech Crime Unit to examine computers used by suspected offenders, including computers used in public areas or via remote connections. This use of technology to identify and arrest suspects is referred to as "proactive policing" is supported by new laws. As of 2006, the Paedophile Unit was engaged in an ongoing covert operation in London, in coordination with the Metropolitan Police, targeting offenders who groom children over the internet and travel to meet them for purpose of child sexual abuse.

Controversy

In 1995, newsreader Julia Somerville and her partner were arrested by Scotland Yard's Paedophile and Child Pornography unit for nude pictures of their daughter in the bath, despite this later being found not to be a crime.