Interview disclosure
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Well we got the disclosure,
14 cat a (9 unique) and 11 cat b (10 unique) not sure of the unique bit! Along with links indicative of child abuse (can't remember exact wording) solicitor has said that he is aiming for caution. Are we naive to think this might be the case?!?!
I feel sick it is has bought everything back into reality that my husband looked at images that consisted of children being abused.
Now awaiting the interview on the 26th!
14 cat a (9 unique) and 11 cat b (10 unique) not sure of the unique bit! Along with links indicative of child abuse (can't remember exact wording) solicitor has said that he is aiming for caution. Are we naive to think this might be the case?!?!
I feel sick it is has bought everything back into reality that my husband looked at images that consisted of children being abused.
Now awaiting the interview on the 26th!
Hello Sid
I read you're message and just wanted to add caution to the suggestion by the solicitor that this will be dealt with as a caution.
I do not want to scare you...every judge is different in dealing with these cases... however the police nearly always send the evidence to the CPS for expert consideration.
The starting point for one (1) class A image is 12 months in custody. Obviously mitigation, remorse, previous offending, length of offending etc are all taken into account.
In my partner's case he had five (5) deleted images...2A, 2B and 1C.
He received a sentence of 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 2 years, 10 SHPO, 10 year SOR, 200 hours community service.
Best wishes.
I read you're message and just wanted to add caution to the suggestion by the solicitor that this will be dealt with as a caution.
I do not want to scare you...every judge is different in dealing with these cases... however the police nearly always send the evidence to the CPS for expert consideration.
The starting point for one (1) class A image is 12 months in custody. Obviously mitigation, remorse, previous offending, length of offending etc are all taken into account.
In my partner's case he had five (5) deleted images...2A, 2B and 1C.
He received a sentence of 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 2 years, 10 SHPO, 10 year SOR, 200 hours community service.
Best wishes.
Thanks snowdrop for your reply. I am under no illusion a caution is unlike and I can't believe that the solicitor would suggest otherwise. It gives unrealistic hope.....
do you have any idea on the 'unique' part?...
do you have any idea on the 'unique' part?...
Hello Sid
I truly hope you get the caution, I just wanted to comment that it's not up to a defence solicitor as to what punishment anyone receives and it's cruel to suggest something which they have no control of.
As for unique abuse images...my understanding of this term is that it refers to an image which has been repeatedly downloaded and viewed on the internet over many years. Of the same child....and not a newly uploaded file.
In my partner's case one of the images had a digital fingerprint attached because it was so frequently viewed. This enabled the authorities to track it back to where it was viewed. Hence the knock on the door 4 years ago...
Best wishes...
I truly hope you get the caution, I just wanted to comment that it's not up to a defence solicitor as to what punishment anyone receives and it's cruel to suggest something which they have no control of.
As for unique abuse images...my understanding of this term is that it refers to an image which has been repeatedly downloaded and viewed on the internet over many years. Of the same child....and not a newly uploaded file.
In my partner's case one of the images had a digital fingerprint attached because it was so frequently viewed. This enabled the authorities to track it back to where it was viewed. Hence the knock on the door 4 years ago...
Best wishes...
I see that makes sense about the unique part of it. When they knocked they said it was because of up address had been flagged (I think that's right)
They shouldn't say things and build up hope. It is much easier to deal with things when you know what is happening and the facts.
They shouldn't say things and build up hope. It is much easier to deal with things when you know what is happening and the facts.
Hi Sid, snowdrop make some very good points and it is wrong of the solicitor to make that type of comment. If you want further information on how the CPS make there decision you might find it of use to google the following
CPS Indecent and Prohibited Images of Children
It will bring up the CPS information on how decisions are made on charging and the Thresholds that have to be achieved.
CPS Indecent and Prohibited Images of Children
It will bring up the CPS information on how decisions are made on charging and the Thresholds that have to be achieved.
Hi NotAlone,
I've just been having a look at the CPS website and something dawned on me. It's legal to have sex with someone 16 and over but it's illegal to have sexual images of someone under 18. So a 40 year old could be in a relationship with a 17 year old and legally have sex with them but it would be illegal to have nude photographs of them? That really doesn't make any sense. Just thinking out loud here. Have I got that wrong?
I've just been having a look at the CPS website and something dawned on me. It's legal to have sex with someone 16 and over but it's illegal to have sexual images of someone under 18. So a 40 year old could be in a relationship with a 17 year old and legally have sex with them but it would be illegal to have nude photographs of them? That really doesn't make any sense. Just thinking out loud here. Have I got that wrong?
That's actually crazy. I'm very shocked as well because this just shows how easy it is for people to commit a crime like this due to lack of awareness. I could easily have chatted to a 17 year old and had no idea it was not acceptable because I would assume 16 is legal!! Not that I would because men are bad enough when they're 30 let alone 17 but I'm just shocked how easy it could be to commit a crime and not even know because everyone assumes 16 is ok! Xx
Hi Baffled, you have hit the nail on the head and this is the crazy aspect of the law in this country.
The age of consent is 16, yet to have indecent photos of someone between 16/17 is a crime and classed as indecent images.
The same goes for conversations and if someone over 18 was sending sexualised images to a person 16/17
The only time it would not be classed as a crime if is that 16/17 was in a Relationship with a person and they could prove a long term relationship/ cohabiting or marriage.
And then if your in a position of trust the age of consent is 18
So we in fact have two ages of consent in this country that not many people realise
Its one of the reasons the number of teens getting convictions for this type of crime is on the increase as they are not aware that when 16/17 they could inadvertently be committing a crime and not even know about it
It was not untill early 2000's i think i read some where that only images of some one 16 and under was classed as indecent images and then the government raised it to 18
The age of consent is 16, yet to have indecent photos of someone between 16/17 is a crime and classed as indecent images.
The same goes for conversations and if someone over 18 was sending sexualised images to a person 16/17
The only time it would not be classed as a crime if is that 16/17 was in a Relationship with a person and they could prove a long term relationship/ cohabiting or marriage.
And then if your in a position of trust the age of consent is 18
So we in fact have two ages of consent in this country that not many people realise
Its one of the reasons the number of teens getting convictions for this type of crime is on the increase as they are not aware that when 16/17 they could inadvertently be committing a crime and not even know about it
It was not untill early 2000's i think i read some where that only images of some one 16 and under was classed as indecent images and then the government raised it to 18
Hi Sid, my partner had 1000 images 14 cat a a few cat b and rest c, he got 8 months suspended for 2 years, his solicitor said he would most likely get community service which he didn't, he said if you have any cat a you are looking at least at a suspended sentence, it's an awful time, we where luck that ours was only 10 months from knock to crown court, now my partner is looking for a job and all the problems that entails, stay strong this forum is so helpful both for info and a rant
It's actually a joke when you think about it. Either they need to raise the age of consent or lower the age of the online/images. In the age of hook ups and sexting and all the rest of it I imagine a lot of people will fall foul of the "relationship" clause. It's also interesting for the teens who get caught up in it. A lady at work's son was on the verge of being charged with iioc because he sent a rude pic to who he thought was his trusted girlfriend and she sent it round the school so then the pupils were at risk of possession, bless him he was only 14.
Hi baffled if you put that in to context I know attitudes change over the decades but the queen was 13 when she started dating 18yo Phillip.
and if you have ever caught the channel 5 programme about Britains largest family there eldest kid is 31 now and the mother was 14 the dad was 19 when he was born, yet he was never investigated for a crime
can you imagine if that was to happen now
and if you have ever caught the channel 5 programme about Britains largest family there eldest kid is 31 now and the mother was 14 the dad was 19 when he was born, yet he was never investigated for a crime
can you imagine if that was to happen now
Yeah of course, I am 29 and even when I was a teenager it wasn't a big deal for 18 year olds to be with 13 year olds. I was 15 and my first bf was 20. Things seem to have changed rapidly in that this is no longer acceptable although the law hasn't changed.
Hello everyone,
It is great to see that you feel able to use this forum as a place to have a discussion around the legal issues concerning indecent images of children. I think it is worth using this as an opportunity to clarify a few points. I understand the law can feel confusing around this issue. To reiterate, it is illegal to possess any ‘indecent’ images of someone under the age of 18, including self-generated images. Additionally, it is illegal to engage in chats or communication for the purpose of sexual gratification or ‘grooming offences’ with anyone under the age of 16. Further information about the UK law around this can be found here: https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/concerned-about-your-own-thoughts-or-behaviour/concerned-about-use-of-the-internet/get-the-facts/.
I also understand that in previous years, images of 16 or 17-year olds (e.g. ‘page 3’ models in The Sun) were legal. It may have also seemed more acceptable to some, for younger teenagers to get into relationships with young men. Inevitably, societal attitudes have shifted over the years and the majority of people in the present day would rightly be concerned about younger teenagers becoming sexually or romantically involved with people who are significantly older than them, given the imbalance of power dynamics. Our understanding around consent and healthy relationships has developed significantly over the years. This might also be a good opportunity to have a look at the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ website that highlights how prevalent harmful sexual behaviour is amongst young peers and has some helpful information about consent: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/.
It is also worth mentioning that police have been provided with clear guidance to avoid prosecuting young people who may engage in sexting, unless there is evidence of coercion, lack of consent or troubling power dynamics etc. The ever-growing nature of the online world can create complex issues for many young people growing up, therefore every case is judged individually.
I hope this information has been helpful but I understand this can be a confusing topic. If anyone has concerns or questions around this then I would really encourage you to give us a ring on the Stop it Now! Helpline (0808 1000 900).
Best wishes
Lucy
It is great to see that you feel able to use this forum as a place to have a discussion around the legal issues concerning indecent images of children. I think it is worth using this as an opportunity to clarify a few points. I understand the law can feel confusing around this issue. To reiterate, it is illegal to possess any ‘indecent’ images of someone under the age of 18, including self-generated images. Additionally, it is illegal to engage in chats or communication for the purpose of sexual gratification or ‘grooming offences’ with anyone under the age of 16. Further information about the UK law around this can be found here: https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/concerned-about-your-own-thoughts-or-behaviour/concerned-about-use-of-the-internet/get-the-facts/.
I also understand that in previous years, images of 16 or 17-year olds (e.g. ‘page 3’ models in The Sun) were legal. It may have also seemed more acceptable to some, for younger teenagers to get into relationships with young men. Inevitably, societal attitudes have shifted over the years and the majority of people in the present day would rightly be concerned about younger teenagers becoming sexually or romantically involved with people who are significantly older than them, given the imbalance of power dynamics. Our understanding around consent and healthy relationships has developed significantly over the years. This might also be a good opportunity to have a look at the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ website that highlights how prevalent harmful sexual behaviour is amongst young peers and has some helpful information about consent: https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/.
It is also worth mentioning that police have been provided with clear guidance to avoid prosecuting young people who may engage in sexting, unless there is evidence of coercion, lack of consent or troubling power dynamics etc. The ever-growing nature of the online world can create complex issues for many young people growing up, therefore every case is judged individually.
I hope this information has been helpful but I understand this can be a confusing topic. If anyone has concerns or questions around this then I would really encourage you to give us a ring on the Stop it Now! Helpline (0808 1000 900).
Best wishes
Lucy
That's really insightful and useful, thank you Lucy. I would be really interested in getting involved doing an online campaign to raise awareness for what isn't acceptable and also to show what happens if you do engage. Is there a contact I can email to speak to someone about this? I have a lot of friends who have large followings on a couple of platforms and I've never personally seen any campaigns. All of this is such a taboo subject and could do with much more awareness.
Thank you.
Thank you.