The UK Home Office announced a major £9 million funding package on 19 May 2026 to equip police forces across England and Wales with AI-enabled intelligence tools to help identify and prosecute grooming gangs and child sex offenders. The technology will enable officers to examine vast amounts of data, interpret foreign-language content, and detect connections and patterns amongst suspects. The Government stated the investment will empower forces to bring predators to justice "regardless of size or local resources." This announcement follows record enforcement figures from the previous year, which saw 10,693 prosecutions and 8,681 convictions for child sexual offences.
## AI Technology Deployment
Police forces across England and Wales will gain access to "AI-enabled intelligence tools" through the Home Office initiative. The technology is designed to help officers examine vast amounts of data, interpret foreign-language content, and spot connections and patterns amongst suspects.
## Funding and Investment Commitment
The £9 million funding package supports the deployment of AI tools. Additionally, the Home Office has committed £100 million towards reviewing hundreds of previously closed cases and establishing a network to monitor online offenders.
## Previous Enforcement Record
Last year's enforcement figures showed 10,693 prosecutions and 8,681 convictions for child sexual offences. Officials stated the extra investment will build upon these record figures.
## Government Response
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated: "The grooming gangs scandal is one of the darkest moments in our country's history, where the most vulnerable people were abused and exploited at the hands of evil child rapists. There will be no hiding place for the predatory monsters who committed unimaginable crimes of child sexual abuse (CSA) and exploitation. We will track down these vile rapists and put them behind bars."
Jav Oomer of the National Crime Agency (NCA) said: "We welcome the continued Home Office funding to support the NCA's vital work in tackling the highest harm offenders, whether they operate in our communities or online, and will use the full force of our capabilities to protect children. We continue to see the increasing complexity and severity of CSA offending, with offenders becoming more technologically sophisticated, but also producing more severe and more sadistic material."
## Statutory Inquiry Details
A statutory inquiry into institutional failures related to grooming gangs is underway, led by Baroness Anne Longfield, a former children's commissioner for England. The inquiry will investigate whether ethnicity, culture or religion played a role in the offending and if they influenced the institutional response. It will examine how grooming gangs functioned and how institutions—including police, local authorities, health services, social care services, and schools—reacted to the abuse. The inquiry is set to run for a maximum of three years, concluding no later than March 2029, and has been allocated a budget of £65 million.
## Previous Investigation
In August, a private probe into grooming gangs established by then-Independent MP Rupert Lowe alleged to have uncovered child sexual exploitation in 85 local councils.
