"Convicted sex offenders will be forced to notify police with the details of any dating app and social media accounts or face up to five years in jail, under plans announced by Shabana Mahmood. In a move intended to help curb the explosion in targeted attacks using websites, the home secretary said the full power of the state would be used to bear down on online abusers."
"There were 70,052 registered sex offenders living in police force areas in England and Wales at the end of March 2024 equivalent to one offender for every 763 people aged 10 and over. Nearly one in five victims of sexual offences committed by strangers are targeted online, according to National Crime Agency statistics. Previously, police have had no way of tracking the activities of known sex offenders online."
"Under new regulations, registered sex offenders would be required to inform the police if they open new social media and dating app accounts or if they move into a new job. The police can use that information to monitor and increase surveillance of predators who may be looking for opportunities to offend again. The changes will be made as secondary legislation to the Sexual Offences Act 2003."
Registered sex offenders will be required to notify police of any social media and dating app accounts, new jobs, and changes of address, under proposed regulations. Failure to comply could lead to up to five years' imprisonment. Police will be able to use the information to monitor online activity and, if they assess heightened reoffending risk, seek sexual harm prevention orders to restrict internet use and ban profiles. Offenders must provide more personal data and preserve internet history to show compliance. The changes will be introduced as secondary legislation to the Sexual Offences Act 2003. A new online policing team has received nearly £2m funding.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]