GETTING TOUGHER ON CHILD SEX OFFENDERS
18 March 2010
The Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O’Connor, today welcomed the passage of legislation reforming Commonwealth child sex offences, including child sex tourism and online offences.
The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Offences Against Children) Bill 2010 strengthens child sex tourism laws and introduces new offences for dealing in child pornography or child abuse material overseas.
The legislation strengthens existing laws by:
- increasing to 20 years imprisonment the penalties for Australians who travel overseas to sexually abuse children;
- introducing new aggravated offences with penalties of 25 years imprisonment where the offender was in a position of trust (such as a teacher or aid worker), the child was mentally impaired or the offender engaged in a sexual relationship with a child over a period of time;
- increasing penalties for online child pornography offences and creating a new high penalty offence for online child pornography networks;
- introducing new online offences for sending indecent material to, or for sexual activity with, a child;
- introducing a suite of child sex-related postal service offences; and
- introducing a new scheme for the forfeiture of child pornography or child abuse material, or items such as computers containing material.
“The sexual abuse of children is abhorrent and the Government is committed to doing all it can to prevent such abuse occurring,” Mr O’Connor said.
“The Internet offers unprecedented opportunities for child sex offending, and has created greater demands for new material of ever greater levels of depravity and corruption. The reforms will ensure law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to fight child sex offending wherever and however it occurs”.
Media Contact: Brian Humphreys 0438 595 567
