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The NSPCC has warned that abusers will exploit children spending more time on the internet because they are locked down and spending more time on their devices because of the Coronavirus.  It has been described as a “perfect storm” for abusers to take advantage of the pandemic.  Tech firms have had to scale back the […]

According to police numbers, there has been a rise in domestic abuse incidents directly related to the Coronavirus outbreak, They say that reports have been linked to the lockdown and that they were preparing for some serious incidents. The police have linked this to the very stressful situation we all find ourselves in by being […]

Having been removed from a register of a Professional Regulator, be it because of a criminal conviction or because of a fitness to practice issue, it is likely, after five years in most cases, from the date of the removal (or an unsuccessful appeal against the decision to remove you) that you will seek to […]

In a recent case heard at Belfast Crown Court, a man who was found to possess more than 500 indecent images and videos was placed on probation for three years. Critical considerations in the case were ‘sexual immaturity’ and that the accused made full admissions when interviewed by police. In August 2014, police officers were […]

The UK Government has been advised that they should impose stricter travel restrictions on UK citizens who have been convicted of sex offences. The recent Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) has resulted in a 73-page document to address international child sex abuse. The report showed that between 2013-2017, 361 UK nationals sought consular […]

Metropolitan police chief, Supt Robyn Williams, was found guilty of possessing indecent images on her phone after she received an unsolicited WhatsApp message that included a video of child sexual abuse. The jury at the Old Bailey heard how Williams was attending a gym class when she was sent the video by her sister, who […]

In recent news, it has been revealed that The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) may have implemented secret targets for prosecutors in relation to rape cases.  This may have resulted in tens-of-thousands of rape cases being dropped. An unofficial policy which called on prosecutors to have ‘levels of ambition’ and to strive to achieve a 60% […]

In recent years, the number and type of sexual offences facilitated by technology have increased. As our world becomes ever more reliant on technology, questions are arising about how to deal with these ‘new’ offences. As sexual offences defence lawyers, it is important that we remain up to date with the regulation of these crimes […]

Very young witnesses can find the process of giving evidence daunting and are often liable to forget crucial details of their testimony in a very short space of time. There has been a serious concern in recent years that the process for obtaining evidence from witnesses in cases concerning sexual crimes is too slow, and […]

Following the accusations made against Jimmy Savile, Operation Hydrant was set up to investigate claims of historic sex crimes. Of the 7,396 cases on the police database, only 29% ended in conviction. However, those who were wrongly accused of crimes are still facing the repercussions of the allegations. With such a massive influx of cases […]