Tuesday, 20 February 2007

Senders of indecent electronic mail to land a place on sex register (You gotta read this crap!)

Amendment to sexual offences act now includes harassment via electronic communication

Members of the public sending emails or texts with sexual connotations could earn themselves a place on the sex offenders register under changes to existing laws.

The new amendments which came into effect this week will focus on schedule five of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which prosecutes offences which are not primarily sexual in nature.
Under the new amendments any phone calls, text or voice messages that are seen as sexual harassment could result in a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO).
Anyone with a SOPO will also be automatically placed on the sex register which has been designed to monitor and control the behaviour and risk posed by said sex offenders.
However although this new change will bring electronic communication firmly into the Sexual Offences Act of 2003 it is not the first time people will be prosecuted for an electronic communication crime.
Under the Communications Act 2003 the improper use of a public email network is already forbidden and anyone sending a message that is "grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character" will be prosecuted according to the law.
So does that mean we all going to be on the register for sending sexual referenced communications to those who know us??
I'm one for protecting the ones at risk, but come on! How many of us have done it, sending sexual referenced messages like comments on Myspace?

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