Sex-abusers 'getting younger'

Dozens of desperate young sex abuse victims and their parents are flooding Hawkes Bay social services and police with cries for help.

And the offenders are getting younger, says a spokeswoman for Youthline Hawkes Bay.

"We get calls from people who have had toddlers abused by kids of 12 and 13. It is more prevalent now than it used to be."

She says sexually explicit media such as TV, movies, music and the internet are making children more aware, adding that calls from young people who have been sexually abused have increased about 10 per cent over the past six months.

The increase in youth offending comes at the same time as several adults have appeared before the courts in child sex cases.

Child, Youth and Family national figures reveal 1443 confirmed cases of sexual abuse for the last June year.

However, police remain unconvinced that more children are being sexually abused.

Detective Wayne Steed of Hastings said that while there had been no noticeable increase in the number of sexual-abuse cases, he had noticed an increase in the number of youth offenders.

Detective Dean Young, of the Napier child abuse team, said he was being kept "really busy", particularly by historical cases. He too had noticed offenders were getting younger.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY