Sexual Offences Guidelines Consultation

Why these amendments to the sexual offences guidelines? The current definitive sexual offences guidelines were published in 2013 and came into force in 2014. This consultation seeks views on a number of proposed amendments to existing sexual offences guidelines to provide greater clarity and to reflect Court of Appeal case law, and also seeks views on a new draft guideline for the relatively new offence of sexual communication with a child. The case of Privett and Others [2020] EWCA Crim 557 provided the courts with guidance about how to approach the assessment of harm in cases where there is no actual child victim. These will often occur in the context of undercover “sting” operations. The case of Privett involved arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence where there was no child, but the Sentencing Council has decided also to update the relevant guidelines to set out the approach the courts should take when sentencing cases wh