NSW: New sex offence laws from January 1
31 Dec 2008 2:33 PM
SYDNEY, Dec 31 AAP - New measures aimed at safeguarding adults and children from sexual predators come into force on Thursday.
NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos says it is the most significant crackdown on sex offences in a generation.
"The government has moved quickly to draft the laws following a report into sexual offences and child pornography by the Sentencing Council, chaired by former justice James Wood," Mr Hatzistergos said in a statement.
The new laws would double the maximum penalty for possessing child pornography to 10 years imprisonment and create a new aggravated offence of having sex with a child under 10, which would carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, he said.
"Other new offences target sex crimes such as `upskirting' (filming up women's or girls' skirts) and filming a person engaged in a private act without their consent," he said.
The maximum penalty for prostituting a child under 14 years will be increased from 10 to 14 years imprisonment.
The new laws also define "pseudo" images of children - produced without real children or from manipulated photographs - as child pornography.
And they will prevent courts discounting sentences for good character and reputation when offenders have exploited those characteristics to commit their crimes.
"It is often these very characteristics that enable offenders to gain the trust of their victims in the first place", Mr Hatzistergos said.
