Read our Privacy noticeBritain's police forces are grappling with a "vast and rising tide of sexual violence", a senior officer has warned, as the growing number of registered offenders places immense pressure on the criminal justice system. Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth highlighted that the capital's force, the UK's largest, is currently monitoring more than 10,000 registered sex offenders. “At that point, that offending alone wouldn’t necessarily in 2023 and 24 have stood him out from a vast number of other registered sex offenders and prolific offenders in our midst. “Sadly, because of the scale of what we’re dealing with, we face unfortunately a very vast and rising tide of sexual violence. In September last year, Mr Southworth warned that the growing number of sex offenders would be “an increasingly challenging issue” for the Met.