Does a Sex Offender Live In Your Neighbourhood ? Know Your Rights

Are you living next door to a sex offender? How do you find out and what can you do about it?

Figures recently published by the government shows that there are over 68,000 people on the sex offenders register living in England and Wales.

This is an increase of 6,000 from 2021 and almost double that of 2009/10 when there were 34,939. 

Naturally, these statistics will be of concern to many parents up and down the country wanting to know if any of these people live in their neighbourhood. If you are concerned about the safety of a child you could be entitled to find out if there are any registered sex offenders living near you Here’s how to find out.

General

There is no requirement for people to be told that a sex offender is living near to them. The sex offender is required to provide some information to the Police and a person can ask the Police whether a specific person is a sex offender if they have concerns and the Police will consider what, if any information, they can disclose dependant on the circumstances.

What is the Sex Offenders' Register?

Contrary to belief, this is a database used by the authorities and is not accessible to the public.

Whilst there are unofficial databases online, they ae not regulated by the government.

Anyone cautioned or convicted of a sexual offence will be put on the Sex Offenders' Register, this includes anyone who commits a sexual offence on the internet. 

What is a Sex Offender ?

There are a range of crimes that can be considered as sexual offences, including non-consensual crimes such as rape or sexual assault, crimes against children including child sexual abuse or grooming, crimes that exploit others for a sexual purpose and sexually motivated online crime.

Individuals are put on the Sex Offenders' Register for differing lengths of time, depending on the type of offence:

• A jail term of 30 months to life = remain on the register indefinitely
• A jail term of 6 to 30 months = registration for 10 year
• A sentence of less than 6 months = on the register for seven years
• A community order sentence = on the register for five years
• A caution issued = on the register for two years

Except for prison sentences of 30 months or more, minors (offenders under the age of 18) will have their registration period halved.

What is Sarah's law? 

Sarah’s Law, officially known as the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, was introduced following the abduction and murder of Sarah Payne, eight, by paedophile Roy Whiting, in 2000.

The scheme allows people in England and Wales to ask police if someone with access to a child has been convicted or suspected of child abuse.

Each case will be treated on its own merits. The police will decide whether or not it is in the child’s interests to reveal details confidentially to the person or persons making the request.

Applications under Sarah’s Law can be made by anyone, but the police will only inform the person who can protect the child.

Even if they do release the information, parents and carers must keep the information confidential and only use it to keep their child safe.

It is important to note that legal action may be taken if confidentiality is breached.

How do I access the information?

You can request information relating to a child that you protect or safeguard by calling 101 or by visiting your local police station.

Alternatively, you can go to a police station and ask them for a ‘Child Sex Offenders Disclosure Scheme Form’ (Sarah’s Law), or Form 284.