# Child sex ring

A child sex ring is a group of adults who are simultaneously involved sexually with multiple minors during the same general time frame. The dynamics of these rings differ from those of more common one-on-one intrafamilial cases in that they are more organized and ran over a long period of time. Commercialization and group sex are not necessarily present.

## Synonyms

They are also referred to as pedophile rings, pedophile networks, pedophile cells, paedophile gangs, grooming gangs (in British English) and child abuse rings.

## Prevalence

In 1989, a study indicated 31 child sex rings identified by police within a geographically separated population of 710,000 during two years in UK. In the two years, they accounted for 4.6% of all reported child sexual abuse. Forty-seven male offenders aged 16 to 82 years and 334 victims aged 4 to 15 were involved. The offenders usually operated in pairs or alone. Three of the rings were becoming semicommercial. Some children acted as victim recruiters for the offenders in 22 rings. The recruiters usually receive the money. The reported abuse included masturbation and fondling in 30 rings, oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse in 21 rings, as well as production of child pornography in 2 rings.

## Offenders and the mode of operation

Child sex rings operate like pipelines. New members are regularly recruited, seduced, abused, and later 'dumped'. They often involve educational or recreational organizations where they can be recruited and seduced. The seduction often involves acts of kindness and giving gifts to the victims to lower their inhibitions and to gain their cooperation and trust. One of the factors that facilitates the recruitment of children is peer pressure from observing the behavior of other children participating in the ring. The offenders tend to be from a higher socio-economic background, as running a child sex ring requires high interpersonal skills and economic resources. It often means a financial loss for the offenders.

## Notable cases

| Case | Country | Victims |
| Aylesbury child sex abuse ring | UK | 2 girls |
| Banbury child sex abuse ring | UK | 7 underaged girls |
| Berkhamsted paedophile network | UK | 7 girls aged from 13 to 15 |
| Bristol child sex abuse ring | UK | underaged girls |
| Casa Pia child sexual abuse scandal | Portugal | 100 boys |
| Colonia Dignidad | Chile | children |
| Sidney Cooke's "Dirty Dozen" | UK | up to 20 boys |
| Derby child sex abuse ring | UK | 26 girls from 12 to 18 |
| UN child sexual abuse scandal in Haiti | Haiti | 9 children |
| Halifax child sex abuse ring | UK | underaged girls |
| Huddersfield grooming gang | UK | 18 girls from 11 to 17 |
| Jersey child abuse investigation | UK | underaged boys and girls |
| Keighley child sex abuse ring | UK | underaged girls |
| Kidwelly sex cult | UK | underaged girls |
| Manchester child sex abuse ring | UK | girls from 12 to 15 |
| Norwich sexual abuse ring | UK | 2 boys and 3 girls under 13 |
| Oulu child sexual exploitation scandal | Finland | girls under 15 |
| Oxford child sex abuse ring | UK | underaged girls |
| 2004 Pitcairn Islands sexual assault trial | UK | underaged girls |
| Rochdale child sex abuse ring | UK | 47 underaged girls |
| Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal | UK | 1,400 girls |
| Telford child sexual exploitation scandal | UK | up to 1,000 girls |
| North Wales child abuse scandal | UK | underaged boys and girls |