CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION | The Investigator

An insight into group-based child sexual exploitation (grooming gangs) offenders and their victims, 20 November 2025

Provides a unique insight into the motivations, drivers and behaviours of those who engage in group-based child sexual exploitation, known as grooming gangs.

Workshop will also consider the impact on victims and their capacity to make and sustain a complaint.

Aim of the workshop is to provide a theoretical underpinning for investigators and analysts to help support their work in the operational environment and provide justice for victims.

A look at the current threat picture and political context. It is essential that investigators are informed of the ever-evolving landscape to inform their work and challenge any biases or stereotypes.

It will be led by recognised international expert Michael Sheath, who is a trainer on the Europol Combating the Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (COSEC) course.

Michael has been working with child sexual abuse offenders for 38 years first as a probation officer and then as Principal Practitioner at The Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

The event will include:

An insight in the offenders and their psychological, ideological and emotional drivers

The workshop will explore the unseen mental and emotional processes that drive the behaviour of men involved in group-based sexual offending as opposed to those who offend in isolation.

These behaviours will be considered through the lens of ‘Schema’ theory, which suggests that offenders are driven by a false but clear and consistent view of the world, including ideas about sex, intimacy, men, women, children and themselves.

The origins of these schema will be considered, and how they appear in speech, chat, and behaviour.

An insight into gang-based grooming:

We’ll look at the routes into offending as well as the Modus operandi they use to recruit and coerce young people through friendship trust and threat.

We’ll also look at how this gang-based grooming involves targeting vulnerable victims who are often Looked After Children and those who have fractured families and challenging backgrounds.

We’ll consider socialist David Finkelhor's theory that looks at ‘Four Preconditions to Child Sexual Abuse’ and how it can inform investigations.

An insight into the victims, the victim experience, trauma and consent

We’ll provide an insight into the victims of gang-based grooming and who is vulnerable to these offences.

We will also attempt to challenge cultural views of ‘complicit victims’ who have often been written off by the system because of their difficult backgrounds and the false perception that they are ‘damaged goods’.

An insight into survivor behaviour, often observed in the aftermath of traumatic events that encompasses a range of emotional, psychological, and behavioural responses. These can include feelings of guilt, anxiety, and depression, as well as coping mechanisms like substance abuse or self-harm. Understanding these behaviours is crucial for investigators.

We’ll consider these important terms:

Implanted thinking errors: also known as cognitive distortions, are negative thinking patterns that can significantly impact a victim's perception of reality and their emotional well-being. These distortions can be particularly detrimental in the context of trauma, leading to self-blame, anxiety, and depression.

Accommodation syndrome: an explanation as to how victims tolerate or manage trauma, and how this can be reflected in institutions and professionals.

Child victims and ‘Consent’, and ‘Agency.’ An exploration of attitudes that might be held by authorities and society around the ability of children to give consent that could lead to compromise about their protection.

We’ll also consider the difficulties for child complainants of making and sustaining a disclosure.

HOW TO BOOK

Cost: £199.50 + VAT (GBP) per delegate (LEA and Government Agency rate). £249.50 + VAT (Industry rate).

Group bookings: We offer various discounts for group bookings depending on numbers, please contact us for details.

Booking: Please send the delegates name(s), email address(es) and purchase order (made out to The Investigator) to booking@the-investigator.co.uk or telephone +44(0)844 660 8707 for further information.

Payment can be made by PayPal/debit/credit card (corporate card fees apply + 3%). The meeting link will be sent out 7 days before the event.