CHILD sex abuse victims have told police in West Oxfordshire of their experiences because of film presentations, an officer says.

Police community support officer Chris Jones said the presentations – which started four years ago – were having a positive impact.

PCSO Jones, based at Woodstock police station, put together films about issues like online bullying and internet safety, including references to an Oxford child sex ring.

His work is now being used by neighbourhood police teams across West Oxfordshire in primary and secondary schools.

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He said: “We went to one school and put on a presentation for 13 to 15-year-olds, and at the end of it one of the girls came up to us and gave a disclosure about abuse that was happening to her. That felt incredibly humbling, because we helped one child get out of the situation.”

He added: “I have had four or five disclosures from children since I started making these presentations, and I know that other PCSOs and the schools themselves have had quite a few after they have presented my work.”

When children open up about sexual exploitation, the PCSOs then pass the case on to specialist police officers, he said.

PCSO Jones, in post since 2007, said he came up with the idea for the presentations four years ago after seeing how films enthralled children.

He said: “I thought this is what we needed to do, but with messages such as staying safe on the internet.

“One of the key lessons we teach is that as soon as they press that send button, they lose control of that image. It can be published anywhere and they cannot get it back.

“It is about thinking before you press that button.”

He added: “Staying safe online is a massive problem and it is getting bigger and bigger. You have to be really careful that you don’t scare people and build it up bigger than it is, but people need to know the potential size of it.

“It is our job to do that, and I’m constantly upgrading this stuff.”

The former photographer and graphic designer took material from police resources.

The police’s Operation Bullfinch saw seven Oxford men jailed for a total of 95 years for crimes including rape, facilitating child prostitution and trafficking.

PCSO Jones said: “We are getting bigger turnouts from the parents at our internet safety and exploitation presentations since Operation Bullfinch.

“Now we do not have to push hard for schools to put them [the presentations] on, they are now asking us to go in as much as possible.”

Area commander Supt Kath Lowe said Psco Jones’s presentations would be shared across West Oxfordshire and Cherwell, but added schools had other internet safety presentations.

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