SEX offences against children have more than TRIPLED in the past four years.

Shocking new statistics reveal that offences against boys and girls under the age of 16 have dramatically increase since 2012/13.

The reports of rapes and sexual assaults against boys has seen the greatest rise, from 18 to 82 – a 350 per cent increase – in 2015/16.

Sexual offences against girls of the same age have risen threefold, from 49 to 146.

Cumbria’s crime commissioner Peter McCall said the force must not shy away from the figures and is working to ensure more victims come forward.

He told the News & Star : “I suspect a lot of these cases are in some way a positive because it is people having the confidence to report and come forward.

“If people don’t come forward and people don’t report these crimes, we have got no chance of catching the perpetrator and stopping the crime.”

The greatest rises were recorded in rapes of boys under 16 (from one to 14); sexual assaults against boys under 13 (from six to 32) and rapes of girls under 13 (from 10 to 38).

The most commonly reported sexual offence last year was rape of women over 16, which rose from 62 reported rapes in 2012/13 to 141 in 2015/16.

Police are keen to stress that they do not believe the increase represents a trend in sex offences, but rather that the force has improved how it records sex crimes.

High profile cases involving celebrities like Jimmy Savile have also encouraged victims to speak up.

Mr McCall hopes more people will now report sex crimes to The Bridgeway, Cumbria’s new expert centre in Penrith, which supports victims of rape and sexual assault.

More than 300 people have already accessed The Bridgeway since it launched in December, about of half of whom were children and young people.

Mr McCall continued: “I think a lot of people feel more comfortable [going to a centre]. I think particularly those who have suffered from sexual offences, that must be very difficult to talk about and relive it.

“I suspect for many people it will be much easier to speak to a counsellor and specialist who is trained to deal with that sort of thing sensitively.”

As well as The Bridgeway, victims of sexual offences can access support from Safety Net, the NSPCC and Cumbria County Council’s Safeguarding Hub.

Carlisle-based Safety Net has seen a staggering increase in the numbers coming to them for help. From January to April this year, the charity saw an increase of 40 per cent.

In the last year, the charity supported more than 440 people. Almost half were children and 94 were under the age of 12.

Overall, reports of sexual offences against children and adults have increased over the last four years from 354 to 852.

These offences relate to rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, abuse of children through prostitution and pornography, incest, exposure and voyeurism and others.

But local police, councils and charities are concerned there are many more victims not reaching out for help.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “These are grim figures which show that the number of sex offences has more than doubled in the last five years, with a significant number of victims being children.

“Recent investigations have exposed a dark underbelly of abuse that went on for far too long with the impact only now becoming tragically clear.

“Sexual abuse has a devastating impact on a child, and we urge all victims to come forward as soon as possible so they can get the support they need and offenders can be brought to justice.”

A county council spokesman added: “These figures provide a timely reminder that children continue to be victims of sexual violence, but it is positive that more victims are coming forward and reporting to the police.”

Call The Bridgeway on 0808 118 6432; The Safety Net on 01228 515859, the Safeguarding Hub on 0333 240 1727 or Cumbria Police on 101. Young people can also contact Childline on 0800 11 11.