Officers posing as children in online chat rooms and forums to snare paedophiles are thought to have saved at least 25 children from internet predators as part of a one year pilot.
Norfolk Police were given funding last year to spearhead the project which will now be rolled out nationally with £20m of investment from the Police Transformation Fund.
Over the last year the dedicated officers have made 43 arrests and charged 19 of them. 11 of those arrested were registered sex offenders and nine were identified as repeat offenders.
Among those charged was a man who travelled from the south coast to London with the intention of raping an eight-year-old girl. He was arrested and charged through the work of the pilot and sentenced to over five years' imprisonment.
Norfolk chief constable and National Police Chiefs Council lead for child protection Simon Bailey said: 'The internet is not a safe or anonymous place for abusing children.
'We are already arresting over 400 offenders and safeguarding over 500 children each month. This increased investment will enable us to consistently target predatory offenders intent on using the internet to facilitate their criminal behaviour and intervene earlier to prevent children being abused.'
Mr Bailey also sent a stark warning to vigilante paedophile hunters.
'This increase in our undercover capability will send a clear message to so-called paedophile hunters: if you have information about child abuse, tell the police. Don't try to take it into your own hands, you could undermine police investigations creating more risk for the children we all want to protect.'
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: 'Child sexual exploitation has a profoundly devastating impact on the lives of its victims, and it's a national policing priority to take on the threat it poses. We believe this project has shown early promise in tackling these complex crimes through an innovative approach.
The project will now be rolled out across the country to allow police to develop a coordinated approach across the law enforcement network.
Anyone with concerns about online grooming should report them to their local police on 101, to CEOP at www.ceop.police.uk, or to Crimestoppers. If you think a child is at immediate risk of harm call 999.
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