Iโm a lawyer, 1 move would catch more paedophiles – Keir Starmer wonโt do it | UK | News
An expert has said the Prime Minister would not use his strategy (Image: Getty)
A legal expert has suggested that a change in the way the authorities go about dealing with sex offenders could lead to more being caught. Marcus Johnstone of PCD Solicitors, who has 25 years experience, believes offering a “deal” to an accused paedophile would be more effective overall. He said: “In my view, a different approach to detection and prosecution may catch more criminals.
“The sentences would need to be more severe. For example, the maximum sentence for making an indecent video of a child is 10 years, but, in reality, hardly anyone goes to prison for such offences. If it became a minimum sentence of five years, that may have more of a deterrent. However, the CPS would then offer a ‘deal’ to the accused person.
“They would not be sent to prison if they gave details to the police of every person they have communicated with online re: sexual offences. A minimum number of contacts would need to be given up, say 10.”
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Marcus Johnstone is a specialist in sex crime cases (Image: Marcus Johnstone)
The accused person would still receive a conviction, Mr Johnstone emphasised, and would be monitored for several years, or indefinitely, by the police in an effort to ensure there is no further offending – which he said already happens.
The lawyer said: “They are not left alone to carry on offending. Any further offence would double the jail time.
“By the CPS giving a ‘stay out of jail’ card to one offender, this would help to catch at least 10 others. If each of these 10 new people arrested gave up another 10 each, the police would have caught a further 100 paedophiles. And so on.”
This approach would also reduce the number of men in “chat rooms” – Mr Johnstone thinks.
“If each man was aware that if anyone else was arrested, it was likely their name would be given to the police, they would either avoid such chat rooms or ensure that they have 10 names to give up as ‘protection’,” he said.
He added: “It could be taken further. More ‘privileges’ may be earned if the arrested man worked with the police to infiltrate the chat room continuously, and identify other paedophiles.”
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Police would be able to nick more paedophiles using Mr Johnstone’s strategy, he suggests (Image: Getty)
However, Mr Johnstone is concerned that this is something that the Government would not agree to, even though it would “identfy thousands of new sex offenders”.
The expert said: “Those who did not accept a deal would need to go to prison for longer, but there are no prison places. Also, the crime statistics would look horrendous for the Justice Minister.
“Imagine the headline: ‘500% increase in child rapes in 12 months.’ In reality, of course, there would not be more child rapes, only that more perpetrators have been caught.
“We would need more police, and more prison places. But the Government does not have the funding, or the will, to implement such a change.
“And so we continue with a broken system that doesn’t work. It is not fit for purpose. It is failing the public. It does not protect children. It encourages crime.”
