but whether legal or not it seems extraordinary that a child of 12 could be prosecuted for sex offences.

Incidentally the Times Law Report published today confirms that a "child" is a "person under 14".

So anyone convicted (wrongly or otherwise) of sex with 14 and 15 year olds is NOT a paedophile.

what was the story ??
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I believe the trend for criminalising children is very distressing. Obviously it depends what they did..if a child murders another there is serious problem.

But I note here in Oz the usual hysteria has broken out with a Minister (and sadly a woman I thought fairly sensible) is now on the rampage to warn school kids about "sexting".

There was a case a few weeks ago of a 14 year old girl from a conservative private Catholics school investigated for sending a topless pic of herself to her 14 year old boyfriend.

Police called in-girl grilled and the boy hauled in.

Is this really the way to treat young people with their innocent explorations of budding sexuality ?. Allowing them to be terrified of being charged with producing child porn and sensational media reports that would identify them to their peers ?

The only reason they escaped prosecution was that no-one actually had the pic (or admitted to having it) but police wagged a finger at them in the media declaring they would have been charged had the pic been found.

So nice-planting horrific memories for a couple of innocent kids to dwell over for years to come.

I can never find Law Reports in Times Online - only in the paper version.

If anyone discovers how to get it I'd much appreciate being told; there are often cases very useful for future precedents when someone may need help.