KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!
and responsabilities when online
The age of criminal responsability
Once you are of the age of ten, you can be arrested. When you are this age, you are now responsible for your own actions.....and - as a result - be punished for them.
The law (according to the Sexual Offences Act 2003) says that anyone under the age of 16 cannot take part to sexual activity. Even if both participants are the same age and are in a relationship, you are still breaking the law. The law states that people this age cannot consent and consequently there is zero defence for someone this age doing this.
If you are thinking about taking part in sexual activity and youare under this age, you are liable for a criminal record and put on a sex offenders register. So, why take the gamble?
If someone is sexually touching/grooming a person under 16 years old or asking them to do a sexual act, this is against the law and the person can be prosecuted under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
If someone is touching someone who is under 13, they will be prosecuted and ther is zero defence for anyone who sexually talks/exploites someone that age. Furthermore, if you are 13 ore 16 aswell, you will still be prosecuted as well.
Harrasment and 'cyberbullying'
If anyone if sending harmful, upsetting messages to another person discriminating them because of their race, gender, ethnicity or sexuality, it is against the Harrasment Act 1997 and you will be prosecuted.
Cyber bullying is bullying but using technology. This includes mobile phones, tablets, and computers. This is breaking the law (Malicious Communications Act 1988) and you wll be prosecuted for such an act.
Also, why do this? Why take the gamble? Why for a preventable message, would you go to jail? So, DON'T DO IT.
Sexting
'Sexting' is when you send a sexually explicit photo or video of yourself or someone else via text. This IS breaking the law. Not only is it illegal to send an image, it is also illegal to be in possesion of a sexually indecent photo of a peron who is under the age of 18. Even if the person is a boyfriend or girlfriend, it is still against the law and you will be prosecuted. This means you will be taken to court for breaking the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
The best advice anyone can give is: one, whenever you receive an image of this nature, delete it straight away, DO NOT SEND IT to another person, be it your mate or boyfriend/girlfriend. Would you like to be put on the sex offenders register? That can ruin your life, prevent you from getting ideal jobs etc.
Also, before any of this happens, DO NOT TAKE OR SEND a sexually explicit photo in the first place. Once you have sent it, you have no control over it. It will never be removed from the internet once you do that.