Sentencing of child abuse investigated

An MP has spoken out against the sentencing of a man convicted of abusing a 13 year old boy. The man had been given a community sentence after admitting sexually touching the boy’s thigh. The man was also made subject to a sexual offences prevention order.

Sexual offences preventions orders come under section 104 onwards of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Section 104 states:-

Sexual offences prevention orders: applications and grounds

(1) A court may make an order under this section in respect of a person (“the defendant”) where any of subsections (2) to (4) applies to the defendant and—

(a) where subsection (4) applies, it is satisfied that the defendant’s behaviour since the appropriate date makes it necessary to make such an order, for the purpose of protecting the public or any particular members of the public from serious sexual harm from the defendant;

(b) in any other case, it is satisfied that it is necessary to make such an order, for the purpose of protecting the public or any particular members of the public from serious sexual harm from the defendant.

See BBC News 4 September 2009 “High Risk” paedophile not jailed