Sex offender admits using Facebook for child pornography

The BBC reports how a convicted sex offender from West Sussex, has admitted 24 charges of making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children. Apparently the man would allow certain contacts to access private groups and share their own images.

Under Section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978, it is an offence to take or make, distribute or show any indecent photograph or pseudo photograph of a child. Under Section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, it is an offence to have any indecent photograph of a child in the Defendant’s possession.

However both of those offences were limited to photographs or pseudo-photographs. Section 63 to 69 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 criminalised possession of extreme pornographic images, and now section 62 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 makes it an offence to possess prohibited images of a child under 18.