A CHILDREN’S charity is calling for urgent action to stamp out the sordid trade in child abuse images after figures revealed that 49 arrests were made by Dorset police last year.

In response to a Freedom of Information request, the sheer scale of investigations into the taking, possessing and distributing of pornographic pictures has emerged with the force admitting it has insufficient resources to assess the full extent of the sickening crime.

There have been several court cases involving huge amounts of indecent images of children including former world karate champion Tim Stephens who was jailed for 30 months at Bournemouth Crown Court in April.

Triple world number one Stephens, 50, who taught karate in Poole for more than two decades, was arrested at his Alcester Road home in June 2011 and found to have more than 38,000 illicit images on his computer.

He admitted 43 sexual offences including 16 counts of taking, making and possessing indecent pictures of numerous children, taking more than 4,000 photos of one girl alone.

NSPCC regional head of service for the South West Sharon Copsey said: “The number of these dreadful images is absolutely appalling. The truly awful thing is that more and more children are being abused so these pictures can be produced. Once in circulation, they may stay there for many years.

“If we can halt this vile trade we will be saving countless children from suffering sexual assaults which have a huge impact on their lives.”

She added: “There are obviously paedophile rings which made a sordid business of sharing these images. But there are now so many in circulation that people from all walks of life are getting caught with them. They have to understand these are not just images – they are crime scenes.”