The UK government is planning to bring forward a bill to update
the laws on sexual offences, which among other things will address
the practice of paedophiles using the internet to contact children,
known as internet grooming.
The Government's commitment to introduce the bill was included
in the Queen's Speech, delivered yesterday morning. Details of the
bill will be published later this year. It is expected, however,
that the new law will make it an offence to use the internet with
the intention to contact and abuse children.
A Home Office spokesman told the media that the bill will
introduce "a clear, coherent and effective set of laws" to deal
with sexual abuse. He added that the bill will generally provide
for civil orders to restrain individuals from contacting children
for sexual purposes, whether on-line or off-line, but it will also
include specific measures against internet grooming.
Meanwhile, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has announced
that it has listed 51 internet newsgroups that allegedly carry
child abuse images. The list, the IWF said, also includes a further
25 newsgroups with names that appear to advertise or advocate
paedophilia. The lists are strictly confidential but will be
disclosed to UK ISPs upon application.
