snapchat, youth caution and no justice
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Hi All! I wanted to get something off my chest that I am confused and angry about. We were raided o 28th July, the police had a warrant for pornographic images containing children and extreme porn. The police had the technology to pinpoint my 14 yo sons devices and siezed them. My son told us the name of the boy who sent the images on snap chat. We had such faith in the technology that the police have that we trusted the police would bring down all the kids that shared the image.
It turns out we were wrong. My son was sent an image of a child, presumed 12, having sex with an adult. He then screen shot the image. The police counted the screenshots as seperate images.
It wasnt until I was his appropriate adult at the police interveiw that I learned that the extreme pornography was a woman having sex with a dog and a man having sex with a tortoise. I had no idea that animal porn was illegal.
The boy who shared the image with my son has never been searched. He still has the image on his phone and continues to show people.
I am furious that my family are going through all of this stress and that little so&so is getting away with it. I dont feel like justice has been done.
The police are no closer to finding the little girl and her abuser, Ive been told thta my son will get a youth caution which means he will fail an enhanced DBS check for the rest of his life.
His opportuinities have diminished before they even began to materialise. He may never be able to go to USA, or work in Dubai(which he wanted to do). h ewill never be a pe teacher or police officer. All things he was looking at.
I have aske dmyslef if the outcome wouldve been different had he been female?
It turns out we were wrong. My son was sent an image of a child, presumed 12, having sex with an adult. He then screen shot the image. The police counted the screenshots as seperate images.
It wasnt until I was his appropriate adult at the police interveiw that I learned that the extreme pornography was a woman having sex with a dog and a man having sex with a tortoise. I had no idea that animal porn was illegal.
The boy who shared the image with my son has never been searched. He still has the image on his phone and continues to show people.
I am furious that my family are going through all of this stress and that little so&so is getting away with it. I dont feel like justice has been done.
The police are no closer to finding the little girl and her abuser, Ive been told thta my son will get a youth caution which means he will fail an enhanced DBS check for the rest of his life.
His opportuinities have diminished before they even began to materialise. He may never be able to go to USA, or work in Dubai(which he wanted to do). h ewill never be a pe teacher or police officer. All things he was looking at.
I have aske dmyslef if the outcome wouldve been different had he been female?
I am so sorry you and your son find yourselves in this position.
I fully understand how you feel about this caution always showing on your son's DBS record under an enhanced check.
We are in a similar position with a young member of our family being 16 years of age when we received the knock. He too will have this show up on any enhanced DBS check he has in the future, as he received a youth referral order.
We can only hope that sometime in the future that cautions and convictions for Youths (under 18's) will not be shown on enhanced DBS's. I think the charity Unlock may be campaigning about this at the moment.
With regards to the other youth who is still showing and has illegal material on his phone surely the Police have to act on this if he is reported to them by a member of the public?
Has your son done the Young Person inform course with Stop it Now? If not, it may be good for him to consider it as it will make him aware 100% what is legal/illegal so he protects himself in the future.
I hope this information is of some help to you.
I fully understand how you feel about this caution always showing on your son's DBS record under an enhanced check.
We are in a similar position with a young member of our family being 16 years of age when we received the knock. He too will have this show up on any enhanced DBS check he has in the future, as he received a youth referral order.
We can only hope that sometime in the future that cautions and convictions for Youths (under 18's) will not be shown on enhanced DBS's. I think the charity Unlock may be campaigning about this at the moment.
With regards to the other youth who is still showing and has illegal material on his phone surely the Police have to act on this if he is reported to them by a member of the public?
Has your son done the Young Person inform course with Stop it Now? If not, it may be good for him to consider it as it will make him aware 100% what is legal/illegal so he protects himself in the future.
I hope this information is of some help to you.
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Deanne,
It's absolutely awful that your son is the one who has been reprimanded. 15 years ago I was at school at a time where phones had just started having the ability to have pics etc and I remember how many kids had videos of things you mentioned (the animal stuff) - kids viewed them as funny as do some adults - I personally didn't but to think without strict education that these things are illegal and what to do if you are sent them is completely unacceptable considering how things have changed now. I have no doubt this is absolutely huge and there are millions of kids with some kind of illegal thing on their phone. I am a big user of TikTok and have seen people publicly ask for things which are illegal when someone has spoken about it, kids don't understand the implications and I try to educate but nobody seems to want to listen. Will the caution not end up as a spent conviction at some point?
It's absolutely awful that your son is the one who has been reprimanded. 15 years ago I was at school at a time where phones had just started having the ability to have pics etc and I remember how many kids had videos of things you mentioned (the animal stuff) - kids viewed them as funny as do some adults - I personally didn't but to think without strict education that these things are illegal and what to do if you are sent them is completely unacceptable considering how things have changed now. I have no doubt this is absolutely huge and there are millions of kids with some kind of illegal thing on their phone. I am a big user of TikTok and have seen people publicly ask for things which are illegal when someone has spoken about it, kids don't understand the implications and I try to educate but nobody seems to want to listen. Will the caution not end up as a spent conviction at some point?
I've just Googled and found out it remains on an enhanced check forever. That's horrendous! That needs to change!
This really scares me. I have two teenage boys and I've told them before about the risks of photos as being on this forum has been such an eye-opener (my husband's offence was communication, not images).
It seems very wrong that this could follow your son forever. Something really needs to change. And that the person who sent it has had no repercussions is unbelievable. Surely there has to be a better way for a first offence when minors.
It seems very wrong that this could follow your son forever. Something really needs to change. And that the person who sent it has had no repercussions is unbelievable. Surely there has to be a better way for a first offence when minors.
I am also so worried by this, I think I have frightened my 2 teenage boys off ever sharing pictures or looking at porn forever, then I worry I've scared them too much and they will get curious and go looking for stuff or even become afraid of porn and sex etc and not be able to have a "normal" relationship.
The world is turning into a very scary place with no limits due to technology.
I think sometimes I also need my brain to slow down and take a break....
The world is turning into a very scary place with no limits due to technology.
I think sometimes I also need my brain to slow down and take a break....
Hi Deanne
I have just come across this link on the unlock website https://unlock.org.uk/advice/filtering-cautions-convictions/
This states that since November 2020 (due to a change in the law) a youth caution, regardless of the offence, will not show on any DBS checks including enhanced.
You may wish to look at the link and maybe contact unlock if you want to discuss this with them.
I hope this may offer you some comfort if you son is given a youth caution.
I have just come across this link on the unlock website https://unlock.org.uk/advice/filtering-cautions-convictions/
This states that since November 2020 (due to a change in the law) a youth caution, regardless of the offence, will not show on any DBS checks including enhanced.
You may wish to look at the link and maybe contact unlock if you want to discuss this with them.
I hope this may offer you some comfort if you son is given a youth caution.