Sexual communication with a child

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/24/2170

Version Date: 30/07/2024

The Performance & Analysis Department have provided the following information.

We searched Niche database for all occurrences with the home office code 071/17.

We have included the stats class status which will indicate how many have been charged. We have also included a cyber-crime flag to indicate how many occurrences had an online element involved. 

Since its implementation into law in 2017, please state how many people have been charged by your force with the offence of sexual communication with a child (Section 67, Serious Crime Act 2015)

There were 55 offences resulting in a charge* relating to 19 individuals

*Charge includes outcomes of:

1: Charged

1: Summonsed/postal requisition

1A: Alternate offence charged

1A: Alternate offence summonsed/postal requisition

Of the people charged, how many of them have been convicted?

Information not held – Conviction data is held by the Courts and not the Police

How many of the offences recorded were initiated online and how many offline?

There were 191 offences recorded with a cyber flag and 257 offences recorded without a cyber flag