Although the transportation of drugs remains at the forefront of County Lines, Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is an associated risk factor that is growing in significance. Sexual exploitation is reported to be used as a means of control, for the gratification of gang members, and, in some cases, as a service to be sold. Girls are disproportionately affected, with male gang members frequently grooming them by creating the illusion of a romantic relationship before pressuring them into drug trafficking and offering them for sexual exploitation to other gang members.

 Once working for the gang, girls’ vulnerability increases, leaving them susceptible to ongoing sexual abuse by gang members or being ‘pimped out’ to individuals outside the network. While boys are also at risk of sexual exploitation within County Lines, their experiences are less frequently reported, highlighting the gendered dynamics of vulnerability within these criminal networks.