Wife jailed over filming
31st July 2009
The BBC reports the convicted of a teaching assistant who helped her husband secretly film young girls at their home. She was found guilty of 10 charges of making and possessing indecent images.
Paedophiles use a number of tactics to gain access to children. However a common ploy is to befriend the child and offer them a “safe haven” away from their parents. This is sometimes with the cooperation of the parents, who are quite unaware of the dangers to which their children are exposed.
The Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955 prevented the dissemination of certain pictorial publications harmful to children and young persons. The Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964 made certain strictures against “obscene matter” although it was not really targeted at child protection.
However the Protection of Children Act 1978 prevented the exploitation of children by making indecent photographs of them. The Act also penalises the distribution, showing and advertisement of such indecent photographs.
Sections 45 to 51 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 now deal with indecent photography of children (including those aged 16 or 17).
