Up to 10,000 children could be affected by gang-related sexual exploitation in all parts of England, the United Kingdom's Office of the Childrens’ Commissioner said.

According to BBC, the number of children subjected to exploitation is much higher than previously thought, and the office is set to begin a two-year investigation into the problem.

Sue Berelowitz, the deputy children’s commissioner, will lead the Child Sexual Exploitation – Gangs and Groups Inquiry. The investigation will look into the links with gangs and groups, BBC reported.

According to the Daily Mail, children as young as 10 are being “bought, abused and thrown away by sex gangs in Britain.” The information is based from a report from the University of Bedfordshire, and it claimed that the children from all backgrounds and cities are being groomed for abusive jobs.

BBC reported:

It found that children were coerced into sexual activity in a number of ways including grooming, pressure from a sexually exploited peer or older boyfriend or girlfriend, or pressure from young people in a gang-affected neighbourhood.

According to Scotland Yard, the average price of a child in the United Kingdom is 16,000 pounds (about $25,164).

