An unspecified range of offences related to internet and phone
use has been added. Now people committing a crime that involves
improper use of public electronic communications networks can be
made to be subject to the strict conditions imposed by being on the
sex offenders' register.
A judge or the police can decide if someone committing one of
these crimes should be made the subject of a Sexual Offence
Prevention Order (SOPO), which means that they are added to the
register.
"We have not listed all the offences, this is an overarching
offence," said a Home Office spokeswoman. "What we are talking
about is nuisance calls, obscene comments or obscene use of the
internet where there is a sexual nature to it."
Some crimes involving computers could previously involve someone
being given a SOPO, but this new order from the Home Office, which
is to be put to Parliament, would widen the range of crimes which
could qualify.
"We are talking about things that are not already an offence –
harassment emails to a colleague of a sexual nature, for example,"
said the spokeswoman. "The best example is nuisance calls, heavy
breathing, obscene sexual comments."
Home Office minister Vernon Coaker said that the expansion was a
question of protecting the public. "The offences may not seem
inherently sexual, but could have had a sexual motive," said
Coaker. "These changes are necessary to strengthen the monitoring
and management of sex offenders."
Police and the courts are instructed to issue a SOPO if they
believe that an offender might commit a sex crime if not issued
with a SOPO.
The Home Office has also increased the number of crimes which
automatically result in someone being put on the register. Inciting
or causing child pornography; controlling a child in prostitution
or pornography; and arranging child prostitution or pornography now
guarantee a SOPO, the Home Office said. The changes are to section
three of the Sex Offenders' Act.
