Gathering Evidence and Prosecution

The Sexual Offences Act 2003 introduced a range of new offences that recognise the grooming, coercion and control of children.
S.14 – Arranging and facilitating a child sex offence (child under 16)
S.15 – Meeting a child following sexual grooming (chil under 16)
S.47 – Paying for the sexual services of a child
S48 – Causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography
S49 – Controlling a child prostitute or a child involved in pornography
S 50 – Arranging or facilitating child prostitution or pornography
S 57, 58, 48 – Trafficking into, within or out of the UK for Sexual Exploitation

Despite the introduction of these offences, there have been very few succesful prosecutions, so they do not reflect the true scale of the issue and the number of children affected.

Latest figures show that the number convicted and sentenced remains very low. In 2009, only 55 people were found guilty of offences relating to child sexual exploitation.

It is important to note, however, that the police and Crown Prosecution Service will often seek to convict using other sexual offences, such as rape of the offence of sexual activity with a child under 13 or a child under 16. In some cases they may even use other legislation to disrupt this activity, such as the Abduction Act 1984, Section 2, or the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Whilst this can be very effective, it does mean that individual cases do not come to light as sexual exploitation in the national criminal statistics.

Source – Barnardos Research Report on CSE 2011 – ‘Puppet on a String’