CHILD sexual exploitation crimes rose by nearly 50 per cent in the past two years, the Met said.

The statistics released show CSE crimes in London increased from 618 in 2014 to 922 in 2016. In addition to the 49 per cent rise in CSE crimes, there was a 42 per cent increase in the number of children officers believe to be at risk of sexual exploitation.

The most significant increase was for online CSE, which sees children groomed and encouraged to share explicit photos of themselves with abusers. These figures increased by 135 per cent between 2015 and 2016.

Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, Metropolitan Police lead on safeguarding, said: “These figures are a reflection of the scale of the challenge we are facing and an indication that more victims are finding the confidence to come forward and report sexual abuse to police, knowing that we will take their allegations seriously.

"CSE is a hidden and under-reported crime and I want to reiterate my plea today for victims to come forward – we have specially trained detectives who will help and support you.

“Often young people may not even be aware that they are victims of CSE. My message to the wider public is, if you know someone who you suspect of being a victim or a perpetrator, please contact police.”

National CSE Awareness Day will take place on Saturday, March 18. The Met will hold a conference on Friday, March 17, to discuss how to support victims and bring perpetrators of CSE to justice. Dame Esther Rantzen is among the speakers lined up.

Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said she and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan have made supporting victims of CSE “one of our top priorities”.

She said: “Together with the Met Police and our partner agencies, we are driving improvements in our ability to identify and safeguard those children who are at risk, and provide the support survivors need to move on from their experiences. But it is a tough challenge.”