UK expands use of AI tools to support child abuse investigations
All police forces to gain access to digital tools under national effort to tackle exploitation
The UK Home Office has announced new funding to extend the use of artificial intelligence tools in child abuse investigations across all police forces in England and Wales. The £426,000 investment will enable national access to investigative applications developed under the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) Programme, which previously operated in just 13 police forces.
The tools include the Data Analysis and Review Tool (DART), which can process large volumes of digital evidence to identify communication patterns and links between suspects, and TOEX Translate, used to translate foreign-language material found on seized devices. According to the Home Office, these tools have been used 12,500 times to date, saving over £20 million and 16,000 investigator hours. With nationwide access, those numbers are expected to grow significantly.
The expansion forms part of Operation Beaconport, a new national policing initiative launched in response to Baroness Casey’s National Audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse. The goal is to support a more unified and intelligence-led approach to investigating these crimes, which often involve complex and cross-regional networks.
Deputy Chief Constables Becky Riggs and Dave McLaren from the National Police Chiefs’ Council emphasized the operational value of the tools, noting they improve the ability to investigate complex crimes, protect victims, and bring offenders to justice. The TOEX Programme, they said, illustrates how combining police expertise with technological innovation can improve outcomes across the board.
For civil society, the nationwide rollout holds broader implications. Organized child abuse causes profound harm to individuals and communities, and these crimes can be difficult to uncover without the right tools. Making advanced investigative technology available to all forces helps ensure that every case receives appropriate attention, regardless of where it occurs. It also promotes more equitable access to justice and protection, reinforcing the role of public institutions in safeguarding vulnerable individuals and building trust across society.
By strengthening the national capacity to investigate exploitation more efficiently, the initiative marks a concrete step toward improving safety, supporting victims, and addressing systemic gaps in how child abuse cases are handled.
