Friday 12 November 2010
New CEOP Chief Executive announced
Peter Davies, the Assistant Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, has been confirmed as the new Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.
Mr Davies was appointed on a secondment basis after a formal recruitment exercise led by SOCA on the Home Secretary’s behalf. He will take up the post from 29 November after a formal handover with outgoing Chief Executive Jim Gamble.
Jim Gamble QPM, out-going Chief Executive of the CEOP Centre, said:
“I am delighted for Peter Davies. He is coming to work with a fantastic group of committed child protection advocates and I wish him, in his new role, every success with CEOP for the future.”
Home Office Minister for Crime Prevention James Brokenshire said:
"We welcome the appointment of ACC Peter Davies as the new Chief Executive of CEOP.
"Child protection is an absolute priority for this Government and CEOP continues to play a crucial role in ensuring children are safeguarded. We intend to build on CEOP's invaluable work tackling the sexual exploitation of children by placing it centre stage in the fight against all forms of serious crime.
"Arrangements are now in place to ensure there is a smooth handover period and we expect ACC Davies to be in post in the next few weeks. We would like to thank Jim Gamble for his dedicated work and wish him every success for the future.”
Speaking about his appointment Peter Davies said:
“CEOP is a terrific organisation which adds unique value to the many efforts carried out by different agencies, the voluntary sector, industry and partnerships to safeguard children and vulnerable people.
“These are challenging times across the public sector and I believe the mission of CEOP to safeguard children everywhere is as valid now as it always has been. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work with a group of such talented and committed people to achieve that.”
Trevor Pearce, Director General of SOCA, said:
“The most important issue here is that vulnerable children are protected. Peter Davies brings years of relevant experience to the role and has an outstanding contribution to make to CEOP's vital work.”
NSPCC chief executive Andrew Flanagan said:
“We look forward to working with Peter Davies who has valuable experience in tackling online child abuse.
“It’s an excellent appointment and we are sure Peter will build on the outstanding work undertaken by Jim Gamble, who set up CEOP and turned it into a major force in the field of child protection.”
Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Richard Crompton said:
“Peter has been a great servant to Lincolnshire Police and he deserves this success. He is taking on an immensely important national role and I can think of no better person for the job.”
Keith Bristow, Head of ACPO Crime Business Area, said:
“I welcome the appointment of Peter to this key and critical role within the child protection community. The Association of Chief Police Officers works closely with CEOP and we will support Peter in continuing to build on the established success of the organisation in protecting children and communities from harm.”
