Self help modules:
Being conviction of a sexual offence has lots of significant consequences. One of the main outcomes is being involved with the police and the criminal justice system.
Being conviction of a sexual offence has lots of significant consequences. One of the main outcomes is being involved with the police and the criminal justice system.
When the police become involved, they will investigate the offence. Based on the evidence they will proceed in one of three ways.
If the police do not find substantial evidence or believe that there is insufficient proof to press charges, no further legal action will be taken.
At the decision of both the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, a formal caution may be offered. This caution can be provided and accepted at a police station without the need for a court hearing. Although not establishing a criminal conviction, a caution will be recorded on an individual’s criminal record and will be visible in standard and enhanced disclosure checks. Furthermore, accepting a caution for a sexual offence entails inclusion in the sex offenders register for a period of two years.
In cases where you are charged with a sexual offence, a court date for your appearance will be given. This initial hearing typically takes place in a Magistrates Court, but depending on the nature of the offences, your case might be transferred to a Crown Court.
During the court appearance, you will have the opportunity to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. If you plead not guilty, a trial date will be set. If you enter a guilty plea, a sentencing date will be scheduled. The court might also request a pre-sentence report from the National Probation Service to help determine an appropriate sentence.
The various sentencing options are detailed below. However, predicting the specific outcome of sentencing can be challenging. It is therefore important to seek legal advice in all cases.
If you are convicted, there are, several sentencing options are available.
This involves serving the sentence within the community under the supervision of a probation officer, who works for the probation service. It often comes with a requirement to engage in rehabilitation, which could encompass offence-related work or community service activities. Community orders typically span at least two years to allow completion of all order requirements, but this period can extend to up to three years.
A suspended sentence is a custodial sentence wherein the individual is not required to go to prison as long as they refrain from committing further offences and comply with imposed requirements. Failure to comply or committing additional offences can lead to the activation of the suspended sentence, requiring the individual to serve the suspended period in custody. Similar to a community order, a suspended sentence can include specific conditions, such as offence-related work.
Upon receiving a custodial sentence, the offender will be taken directly from the court to the designated prison where the sentence will be served.
You can find information on possible sentencing outcomes for different offences on the Sentencing Council website.
Anyone cautioned or convicted for a sexual offence is put on the sex offenders register (SOR).
All those on the sex offenders register must register with the police within three days of their conviction or release from prison. If you are convicted, you will be required to go to your local police station and sign the register. If you do not register, you will be charged with another criminal offence.
You can find more information about the sex offenders register here.
A sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) is a court order put in place to prevent a person from engaging in a particular activity. It is very common for a person who is convicted of online sexual offences relating to children, to be subject to a SHPO and is often given at the time of sentencing.
You can find more information and examples of SHPO here.
Children’s Services may become involved if you have interactions with children and the police tell them about an arrest. The level of involvement can change during an investigation, and sometimes restrictions may be re-evaluated, especially during the sentencing phase.
In some cases, a ‘Section 47 enquiry’ might be conducted to determine if further engagement with your family is necessary. This assessment helps decide the appropriate actions to safeguard and enhance the well-being of the relevant child or children.
If you want to understand more about the process please see here. We encourage people to be open and honest and engage with Children’s Services as much as possible to ensure the welfare of your child/ren. If you find any aspects of the involvement confusing or want to talk to someone about how you are coping then please call our advisors for confidential support and advice.
You should check your insurance policies e.g. home and car insurance as this can be affected if you have a criminal conviction. Some insurers will not cover people with convictions or it can affect your premium. You can find out about the financial impact on unlock.
During an investigation for a sexual offence, you may be at risk of losing your employment. It’s important to review your employment contract to understand whether you need to disclose a caution or conviction.
When looking for a new job, certain roles may not be suitable for you, particularly those involving children or vulnerable adults. When applying for specific jobs, you’ll likely be asked to declare any spent or unspent convictions. Failing to disclose spent convictions could lead to prosecution, and such convictions might be revealed if your employer conducts a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
The media don’t publish information about every online child sexual abuse offence but people often tell us they’re worried about it when a loved one is arrested.
Court reporters attend criminal courts and may choose to cover any case. These reporters are overseen by the Independent Press Standards Organisation, adhering to clear reporting guidelines. They are permitted to report information presented in court about the criminal case, as long as the details are publicly available.
There are steps you can take to mitigate the impact of media coverage.
I initially contacted the helpline following my arrest for viewing indecent images of children.
The arrest came as a shock for both me and my family, and I remember immediately worrying about the repercussions of my online behaviour. I was particularly worried about the media and how this could affect my family and friends.After a year of worrying, my fear came to life after one of my close friends informed me that they had seen my case reported in the local online newspaper. This was a few days after sentencing.
I am glad that I told my friend about my arrest, otherwise this would likely have shocked him. He informed me that some of the details were upsetting and advised me not to read the article. I decided to take onboard his advice, and this is a decision I would recommend other individuals to make as well. I also found it useful to not look at report of other people in a similar situation and to reduce how much I watched the news. I especially think this was helpful in the days after the media article had been published.
I had ensured I deleted all social media; this way it was harder for the media to find other images they could use of me and it would be more difficult for people to contact me.
Nonetheless, I was worried that other people would read the article and that me and my family members would be confronted in the street or at home. Luckily, this never happened and I am very
grateful for that. I wish I had lived my life a bit more normally as it caused me a lot more distressed worrying all the time for something that didn’t happen.
One thing I would say is that people are a lot more supportive than I originally thought. I did lose a
couple of friends, but the way I see it, these individuals weren’t really friends to begin with. I did tell a couple of people about my offending immediately after the arrest. I found that they were a lot less affected by the reporting as they already were aware of the situation. I would suggest being open and honest with the people you are closest to, so the report does not come as a surprise. It is a lot better that the information is coming from yourself rather than the news article. This way you are in control of the information they get and it’s not solely based on the information included in the media which doesn’t necessarily reflect all the details of your case.
I want to make people aware that media involvement is always a possibility even though the likelihood of it is not necessarily that high. If it happens, I hope some of the information given above will be helpful.
It can be very difficult to talk about sex, particularly sexual offences. It’s hard to know how to approach these conversations and who to share with. This section aims to give you the communication skills and insight to help talking to other people about your offending.
Understanding how other people might feel can help you anticipate how they might react. Sexual thoughts or behaviours involving children are unexpected and naturally raise numerous questions. For instance, your partner might wonder about your motivations, the consequences for you, how it impacts them, the well-being of any children you have, and the implications for the future. Think about your own emotions of fear and distress. Other people are likely to share these emotions and will also be shocked by finding out about behaviour through you or the police.
People’s reactions might not align with your predictions. Shock could stop people being able to think of questions, while others might have many questions or repeatedly ask the same thing. Tears, anger, and even self-blame are possible responses.
It’s important to tell people that you know you are accountable for your actions and try to listen to them and respect their needs, such as requiring space to process the situation.
Communication involves both speaking and listening. To understand other peoples’ emotions, it’s important to ask questions and genuinely listen. This can be tough, especially if they express negativity or intense anger due to your behaviour.
Mastering these communication skills will aid you in navigating challenging conversations surrounding sexual offences and foster a supportive environment for discussions.
When discussing the situation with your partner, remember all the skills we’ve discussed. Your partner can be deeply affected by your actions, and they might have questions. It’s crucial to be honest without sharing graphic details. This helps them understand and decide how they want to proceed in the relationship. It’s better for them to hear about this from you than from the police or other people.
Telling children about offending can be tough for parents. Think about these points when speaking to them.
Understand more on supporting children in the family.
When disclosing convictions to employers, these suggestions might help.
When disclosing to friends, prioritise their feelings and reactions. These tips might help.
If you have any concerns, questions, or would just like to talk about what you are going through, our non-judgemental helpline advisors are here to support you. You can stay anonymous and don’t have to give your real name or any contact details. If you’re not ready to speak to anyone yet, you can also use our live chat or send a secure email.
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Being conviction of a sexual offence has lots of significant consequences. One of the main outcomes is being involved with the police and the criminal justice system.
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Our confidential helpline is free and available to anyone concerned about the safety of children.
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