Children Act, 2001
|
Causing or encouraging sexual offence upon child. |
249.—(1) A person is guilty of an offence if, having the custody, charge or care of a child, he or she causes or encourages unlawful sexual intercourse or buggery with the child or causes or encourages the seduction or prostitution of, or a sexual assault on, the child. | |
(2) A person found guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding £25,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or both. | ||
(3) For the purposes of this section a person shall be deemed to have caused or encouraged— | ||
(a) unlawful sexual intercourse or buggery with any child with whom unlawful sexual intercourse or buggery has taken place, or | ||
(b) the seduction or prostitution of a child who has been seduced or become a prostitute or a sexual assault on a child who has been sexually assaulted, | ||
if the person has knowingly allowed the child to consort with, or to enter or continue in the employment of, any prostitute or keeper of a brothel. | ||
(4) In this section— | ||
“child” means a child under 17 years of age; | ||
“keeper of a brothel” means a person referred to in section 11 (which relates to brothel keeping) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 1993 ; | ||
“sexual assault” has the meaning assigned to it by the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990 . | ||
(5) References in this section to sexual intercourse shall be construed as references to carnal knowledge as defined in section 63 of the Offences against the Person Act, 1861 . |