When someone is arrested or investigated for a child sexual offence in England and Wales, their mobile phone is almost always the central piece of evidence. Mobile phone forensics is how the police turn that seized device into material a court can rely on,...
If you have been arrested for or charged with Section 20 GBH, the first things you need to understand are how serious it is, what sentence you could face, and whether prison is likely. Section 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 covers the...
Quick answer The UK Sex Offenders Register is a list, established by the Sex Offenders Act 1997 and amended by the Sexual Offences Act 2003, of individuals who have been convicted, cautioned or released from prison for a sexual offence against children or...
If you are facing an ABH charge, the likely outcome can vary considerably. One of the most important factors that can affect your chances of avoiding conviction, or the type of ABH sentence you receive on conviction, is the quality of your legal defence. It...
Quick answer The offence of ‘making’ an indecent image of a child is set out in the Protection of Children Act 1978. It covers any act that causes an indecent image of a child to exist on a device – including downloading from a website,...
Quick answer Talking to someone under 16 online is not in itself illegal in the UK. It becomes a criminal offence – sexual communication with a child under Section 15a of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 – where an adult, for the purpose of sexual...
Quick answer Sex in public can be a criminal offence in the UK. Depending on the circumstances, it can fall under indecent exposure under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (where a person intentionally exposes their genitals intending to cause alarm or distress)...
Quick answer Using the dark web is not in itself illegal in the UK – but accessing illegal websites, or engaging in criminal activity through the dark web, is. The most frequently prosecuted dark-web offences are those relating to indecent images of...
Quick answer GBH (grievous bodily harm) is the most serious form of assault short of attempted murder. It comes in two forms: GBH with intent under Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, which carries a sentence range of 2 to 16...
Quick answer Sentencing for assault in the UK depends on the type of offence. Common assault under Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 carries a maximum of six months’ custody (two years if racially or religiously aggravated). Actual bodily...
