'No sex gangs in district', says report
There is no evidence of any organised child-sex gangs operating in the Shropshire Council area, according to a new report.
The report, which will go before councillors next week, found that the use of illegal drugs to lure children into sexual activity was the biggest cause of exploitation in the area.
It identified 67 children across the district as being 'at risk' of sexual exploitation, with 15 of these falling into the 'high risk' category.
Senior council officers Jeanette Hill and Dot Johnson, who wrote the report, said in the majority of case victims tended to consider the man exploiting them as their boyfriend, and the youngsters were often introduced to the offenders either through an older brother or sister, or through mutual friends.
They also revealed that a special operation had taken place where men from Telford suspected of targeting children were asked to leave a junior disco in Shrewsbury.
Their report added that businesses shared intelligence and photographs of suspected offenders to prevent exploitation taking place.
The report will be presented to the council's 'people overview' committee on Wednesday next week.
