George welcomes new child protection law

West Cornwall MP, Andrew George, has welcomed a long overdue change in the law to protect children from sexual messaging.  The new legislation, which is being introduced this week, tackles digital child sexual exploitation by making it a specific criminal offence to send a sexual message to a child under sixteen.

Mr George has supported the campaign and is pleased that Government Ministers confirmed it would be brought into law in response to the recent #WeProtectChildren online summit.  It will be introduced through an amendment to the Serious Crime Bill, which had its second reading in the Commons yesterday, 5 January 2015.

The NSPCC’s “Flaw in the Law” campaign to make sending a child a sexual message an offence attracted backing from over 50,000 people across the country.  The offence will carry a maximum tariff of two years in prison and those convicted of this crime will automatically trigger the notification requirements for registered sex offenders.

Mr George said, “This is welcome and not before time.  Congratulations to the NSPCC and the thousands who made the Government sit up and listen. But more still needs to be done to protect children and young people from online abuse.