( CNN ) -- UK police have arrested 660 suspected pedophiles -- including doctors , teachers and scout leaders -- in a six-month operation spanning the country , the National Crime Agency said Wednesday . The operation -- which targeted people accessing indecent images of children online -- involved 45 police forces across England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland . More than 400 children across the United Kingdom have been protected from harm as a result , the National Crime Agency said in a statement . Thirty-nine of the suspects were registered sex offenders , the statement said , meaning the vast majority were not previously known to police . Their number also included social care workers and former police officers . The operation was kept under wraps until Wednesday to protect children and gather evidence against the accused , the statement said . The National Crime Agency is not revealing the methods used to track down the suspects because it hopes to deploy them again in the future . The charges brought so far range from possession of indecent images of children to serious sexual assault , it said . Many suspects have yet to be charged in the case . `` This is the first time the UK has had the capability to coordinate a single targeted operation of this nature , '' said Phil Gormley , the agency 's deputy director general . `` Our aim was to protect children who were victims of , or might be at risk of , sexual exploitation . A child is victimized not only when they are abused and an image is taken . They are re-victimized every time that image is viewed by someone . '' Some of those who start by looking at indecent images online go on to abuse children directly , he said , so arresting them now may prevent them from crossing that line . The operation comes amid wide public concern over the issue of sexual abuse of children in the United Kingdom . Children 's TV entertainer Rolf Harris was sentenced this month to five years and nine months in prison for a string of indecent assaults against women and girls . His trial came in the wake of shocking revelations of predatory sexual behavior by the late TV host Jimmy Savile against vulnerable children and adults . The publicity around those high-profile cases appears to have encouraged others to come forward with allegations of abuse . Chief Constable Simon Bailey said the majority of police forces in England and Wales are dealing with an `` unprecedented increase '' in reports of sexual abuse of children . `` Forces are investigating exploitation of children and young people by groups and gangs , non-recent abuse including large-scale investigations into abuse in institutions over many years and sexual abuse by parents and family members , '' he said . CNN 's Carol Jordan contributed to this report .
A six - month UK - wide operation snares the suspected pedophiles , police say . The operation targeted people accessing indecent images of children online . Police say more than 400 children have been protected from harm as a result . The operation comes amid public concern over the issue of sexual abuse of children .