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buriramboy

More 'sex tourists' face UK law

British "sex tourists" who abuse children abroad could face prosecution in the UK even if their actions were legal in the country they visited.

The new rules, part of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, will come into force on Monday.

In some countries, possessing indecent images of children is not illegal, or the age of consent is lower than 16.

The Home Office said British police would work with their counterparts abroad to bring offenders to account.

Current laws provide powers to prosecute for sex offences abroad only when they are illegal in that country.

Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said: "We already have some of the toughest sex offences legislation in the world but we are determined to do everything we can to protect the most vulnerable, at home and abroad.

"Anyone who commits an offence against children abroad will face the prospect of prosecution for the same offence here even though it may not have been offence in that country.

"As a result I hope this new law will send a tough message to deter travelling sex tourists."

The move was welcomed by children's charity the NSPCC, which has campaigned for wider protection for children.

'Worst crime'

But policy adviser Zoe Hilton said there were still loopholes that allowed sex offenders to "slip off and abuse children in other countries".

"When travelling abroad, offenders only have to notify authorities of the first country they plan to visit. This makes it easy for an offender to travel from Europe and then on to countries which have weaker child protection systems.

“It is essential that these new measures are accompanied by more resources to convict, manage and monitor offenders who go overseas to abuse children.”

Jim Gamble, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre - an alliance of British and foreign police forces, computer experts, charities and schools - said the sexual abuse of children was "the worst crime imaginable".

"No offender should be able to escape to foreign jurisdictions in order to abuse children and young people, or possess images and materials that show sexual exploitation without living in fear of UK police working with their international counterparts to bring that person to account.

He said the new law sent out a clear message to offenders that they would be tracked down.

"Every child no matter where they live deserves that protection," he added.

BBC NEWS | UK | More 'sex tourists' face UK law

Megahorn

Shouldn't that be 'More peado-tourists face UK law'.

Or does coming here to have heaps and heaps of really hot sex with really hot Asian chicks for a few weeks = being a paedo now?

F'ing retarded western media.

bkkandrew

I see. I wonder if they will take the same approach where the reverse is true, such as the 18-if-money-changes-hands-despite-prostitution-being-illegal-anyway law they have here?

Or are they simply making it up as they go along?

good2bhappy

That is disrespecting other countries legal systems but I understand the attitude behind it.
How is the UK govt going to know if the person isn't charged in the country?
I think the law will be unenforcable and just be a waste of taxpayers money yet again!

colourful-era

I think it's a sinister big brother type rule ok, yes it's good to try and clamp down on child-sex tourists etc.. but they could surely use this regulation to enforce other laws.

for example - if you legally smoke a joint in Amsterdam you could get prosecuted for it on your return to the UK. - or all sorts of other things.


Could I get 'done' back home for working in Thailand on a tourist visa?

cujo

That's just i, sharp edge of the wedge, what're the smoking laws like in the UK? Next thing you'll be arrested on arrival back for smoking in a restaurant (perfectly acceptable in China).

DrivingForce

Yes I think this is the insidious nature of laws such as this, How about prostitution of any kind? It's illegal here too though over looked but on those rare occasions it could be used to prosecute someone when they return from a holiday where illegal.

DrivingForce

More like subliminal messaging or Freudian slip me thinks...

blackgang

That is an old law in the USA, they have had that under 18 and you wrong law for a long time and some do get busted on it once they get back home.
I think it is a good law but kind of hard to bust a guy unless he has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
And I am not paranoid enough to think that they ever will try to enforce all the "HOME LAWS" while you are in another country.

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buriramboy

While I can understand the need to prosecute pedo's and prevent child abuse. I find the attitude ''Our laws are better than yours'' ''We know best'' a little condecending... After all the UK Govt continually bangs on about respecting other cultures and they bend over backwards to appease immigrants who have strange beliefs etc etc BUT to my mind if another country sets the age of consent at 15 when you are in that country you should abide by their laws. Same as countries that consider polyagamy legal, Marijuana legal etc etc That's the law in THEIR country so why should a foreigner be castigated cos the law/culture is different in his own country.. FFS you have to be 21 to drink in some parts of the States but if you are from Europe it's only 18... Maybe we can appeal to ignore American liquor laws too...

It''s all bollocks.. Follow the rules of the coutry you are in fcuk the ''we know better'' moral highgroud wankers in the EU..

Biggest laugh of all is that they profess to be Christians and say that God is the ultimate authority.. Well God made females fertile a lot younger than the age of consent so who do all these politicians think they are disagreeing with God...

Disclaimer: I'm an atheist and don't believe there is a higher power and I deffo don't condone pedophilia or child abuse... Just find it stupid that politicians can use an emotive subject to gain power and wealth.. wankers !

darksider

If they find pictures of a pedo abusing a child, ATM they can only procecute for possession on the photo, the new law will allow them to put the pedo away for a very long time

Lorenzo

I wonder also.

Why would some jackasses who make laws want to subject their citizens to law in a foreign country that the locals are not subject to. How about speed limits, drinking outside or loud music? Wonder if this law will cover every law in The UK. The US makes the same stupid laws. I'll bet there are all kind of laws in the UK and US that Thailand does not have..

blackgang

Yes, but some of the same laws are in Thailand but are never enforced unless there is a need of quick cash, you have no idea what laws are on the books here that are not enforced.
If it were not for other countrys enforcing laws then Thailand would not be paying any more attention to pedo laws than they were paying 6 years ago and Pedo Play Houses and Pedo sex tours openly booked on the world markets for trips to Thailand and even had an advert for a Kiddy Cat house that was a photo taken of an arena wall and used on a jacket for a Music CD album, and that jacket was banned in Thailand.

bkkandrew

Perhaps I was being too subtle:

Man bonks girl in LoS. Girl is 17. Legal in UK, Legal in LoS if no money changes hands, but, no, lady drink has been bought so....

Man arrested. Will UK Guvmit claim that, since such an arrangement is lawful in the UK, the man should be released forthwith?

No, I thought not. Therefore the proposal is ill considered, irrational and legally perverse.

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A funny thing happened today - Ant trolls, stalks, prevokes and generally upsets approximately 15 members of the board, yet Noodles goes to jail. Perhaps it was a dream...
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