Downloading Child Abuse ‘Manuals’ to be Made Illegal
We all undoubtedly know the dangers of surfing the web – we’ve heard more than enough stories of grooming and sexual abuse to make ourselves cautious about who we talk to, let alone our children. However, there are various ‘unknown’ documents online which are best described as child abuse manuals that are causing the government and the general public great cause for alarm.
These texts, often remaining undiscovered by the majority of search engines, can have content that offers all sorts of advice to would-be pedophiles. During their time researching, the National Crime Agency discovered several manuals that offered tips on how to groom victims and even how to evade getting caught. In addition to this evidence, there is also the fact that it still remains unknown as to how many of these manuals are in circulation online, and how often they get downloaded.
In various interviews, David Cameron has had this to say about the discovery and distribution of such documents: “It’s completely unacceptable that there is a loophole in the law which allows paedophiles to write and distribute these disgusting documents.” He then went on to add that he intends to do everything within his power to ensure that children are protected, and that is his reason for making such content illegal.
Christine Sands, Head of the child abuse compensation department at Yorkshire law firm Jordans Solicitors, said: “At Jordans we welcome any way in which to tackle these ‘child abuse manuals’ from being downloaded by would-be paedophiles and stopping them from being circulated online. “
Although no set plans or announcements have been made about how the changes will take place or when, many have speculated that the government will look to amend the 1959 Obscene Publications Act in order to remove loopholes. Furthermore, the intended new legislation will adopt a similar approach to that of training manuals that are in distribution online for use by terrorists. The outlawing of these types of documents has resulted in numerous prison sentences, with some lasting up to two years for those convicted.
The reason for this move in changing current laws is said to be down to the revelation that a teacher at a private school in London drugged and abused up to 60 young boys, from as young as the age of 10. Although this isn’t the first child abuse case to come to light, it appears to have been the chief one into kicking the government into action in regards to improving child safety.
That being said, certain government officials, such as Shadow Home Office Minister, Diana Johnson, believes that the Coalition is too delayed in their instigation of new laws. This very issue was than reinforced by Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of the NSPCC, whom commented that the government needed to tackle the issue quickly if child online safety was to be improved.
