DETECTIVES have identified more than a hundred potential victims of child sex exploitation in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Police have identified 110 potential victims, 20 of whom are said to be at a high risk and located in the Scarborough and York areas.

Officers have also identified 80 potential abusers in 18 locations around the county and will carry out a review with the Police and Crime Commissioner on how it deals with the problem of child sex exploitation in coming weeks.

Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Mason, head of crime at North Yorkshire Police, said the situation was serious, but CSE was a high priority for the force.

He said: “The public should not be unduly alarmed by the figuresthat describe the numbers of potential victims and perpetrators.

“They represent the number of children which North Yorkshire Police, through its intelligence and information-sharing with safeguarding partners, currently consider to be vulnerable to sexual exploitation. It does not follow that each case will result in a child becoming a victim. We will be doing all we can to ensure this is not the case and children are kept safe.”