ALMOST 1000 people in Scotland sought help to stop themselves or another viewing child abuse images online in just three months, it has emerged.

Just under 560 people visited the Get Help website run by specialist prevention project Stop it Now! Scotland in the three months to June 25. This increased to more than 950 over the next quarter.

The project says an initiative to raise awareness in the east and south of the country has driven the 70 per cent rise, also fuelling an 80 per cent jump in calls to its helpline.

A total of 30 people from Scotland called in the three months to the end of May, rising to 55 during the next three months.

The summer campaign involved Police Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh University and the NHS, and used social media, radio advertising and posters to reach offenders and potential offenders, as well as their families and friends, to direct them to self-help resources.

Stop it Now! Scotland says social media was “particularly successful”, with posts viewed almost 185,000 times.

When one Facebook user complained about receiving a Stop it Now! post on his page, a friend replied: “Get a grip, this is no laughing matter, this is about children being tortured.”

Stuart Allardyce, national manager for Stop it Now! Scotland, said: “Stop it Now! Scotland is determined to protect children from abuse and the devastating impact of having their image repeatedly shared across the internet.

“The best way to do this is to deter people from looking at these images in the first place, and to get those who are looking to stop.

“What our campaign shows is that when you make people aware that help is available to stop, people will take up that offer of help.

“We work with many men arrested after downloading huge numbers of abusive images of children. Many of them say they would have been unlikely to have become so addicted if they had known sooner about the help that’s available to stop.”

The campaign aimed to reinforce certain key messages, including that accessing indecent images of anyone under 18 is illegal, the “severe” consequences for those who do so, the “great harm” caused to the children and young people in the pictures and the help available for those who want to stop.

DCI Martin MacLean said: “The results of this preventative campaign are very encouraging, demonstrating that offenders or potential offenders do want help to stop.

“Our campaign has proved to be very effective in promoting the awareness of support services.

“Every time a sexual image of a child is viewed, that child is re-victimised and further demand is created for indecent images. It is therefore vital that we work closely with partners and use all available resources to protect children and, wherever possible, prevent offending.

“Enforcement remains a priority for specialist Police Scotland detectives at both local and national levels. Being arrested, charged and convicted is life-changing for offenders and their families.

“Anyone having inappropriate thoughts about children needs to seek help, or should expect to face serious consequences.”

In an anonymous statement, one of the men who contacted Stop it Now! Scotland to get help to stop looking at sexual images of children said: “I’d really encourage anyone struggling with their online behaviour to call Stop it Now! Scotland or to visit the Stop it Now! Get Help website so they can get the help they need to stop looking at sexual images of children.”