Child sex for sale.

Byline: By Craig Thompson 

A sex ring exploiting children as young as 11 is operating in Tyneside. Craig Thompson uncovers the seedy underworld of child prostitution.

A child prosti-tution network run by professional businessmen is operating on Tyneside.

Perverts are preying on children as young as 11 through an underground organised cycle of abuse, according to new findings.

The victims are given the mobile phone numbers of the high-flying city workers before meeting up, often in their own homes.

It comes as the new figures reveal 28 young people are working as child prostitutes on Tyneside ( with 136 at risk of similar exploitation.

During a 12-month undercover investigation by outreach workers in the city, child prostitutes also claim to have been con trolled through family networks and abusive gangs.

Evidence of ritualistic abuse was also uncovered.

In a bid to break the seedy sex cycle, workers contacted escort agencies, sex shops and contact magazines, as well as following up messages and phone numbers left scribbled on public toilet walls.

They also visited well-known "pick-up" areas of the city in a bid to identify any sex-for-cash transactions taking place.

Describing how she got in touch with clients, one teenage prostitute said: "The boss guy belonged to a network of professional men working across Newcastle.

"He would give me their mobile numbers.

"I would ring them and arrange to meet them or go to their house."

Ady Davies works for the Reducing the Impact of Sexual Exploitation (RISE) project.

This was established by the children's charity Barnardo's to investigate child prostitution in Newcastle.

He spent months trying to infiltrate the city's child sex scene in a bid to assess the extent of the problem.

Mr Davies said: "The information I have gathered indicates there are organised networks operating around these youngsters.

"The young people move around within this network, which makes identifying them very difficult be cause they aren't operating from street locations or public sex environments.

"This research has provided a massive opportunity to help sexually-exploited children and teens in Newcastle because it's turned constant `hearsay' into evidence. It also gives us the chance to look closely into the allegations of the networks exploiting these young people.

"Up until now the police were not getting that opportunity, but further work now needs to be done to empower young people and investigate and prosecute their abusers."

According to the findings, those currently being sexually exploited were more than twice as likely to have a history of homelessness, compared to those young people believed to be "at risk".

They were also less likely to have a history of local authority care, as well as a history of absence from school.

Mr Davies added: "It's significant that the re search goes against the stereotype that sexually-exploited young people are usually in care.

"These young people can be attending school, are from every area of Newcastle and many have never been in contact with social services.

"But something has gone on in the home which has caused family break-up or homelessness which, in turn, has led to sexual exploitation."

Today's findings have resulted in the creation of a board, specifically aimed at protecting these vulnerable children.

Catherine Fitt, executive director of children's services at Newcastle City Council, said: "The findings will ultimately help all agencies develop services for supporting and reducing the risk of exploitation of young people in a co- ordinated way.

"The next step to combating the problem will happen at a research briefing workshop with professionals who work with children and young people on Friday where they will develop an action plan.

"A Safeguarding Children's Board will be established on December 6 and this will drive forward the work identified in the action plan.

"The formulation of the action plan will move through to a consultation process and is expected to be ready for implementation by the beginning of 2006.

"In the meantime I remind all people that they have a responsibility for welfare and safety and they must use the child protection procedures that are currently in place."

Det Chief Insp Allan Brown, from Northumbria Police's public protection units, said: "We are very supportive of this research, which mirrors earlier findings made across the whole of the Northumbria Police area and regionally.

"But we still don't have a clear picture of sexual exploitation because victims are reluctant to come forward and report what is happening.

"What's important now is to raise the awareness of young people and vulnerable adults who are sexually exploited about the support available to help them, such as rape crisis centres, local health services or social services.

"We work closely with all these agencies to monitor offences and support victims who need to know that they will not be criminalised."