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Sexual Offences Act 2003

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Sexual Offences Act 2003. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. Background

  3. Summary

  4. Territorial Application: Wales

  5. Commentary on Sections

    1. Part 1: Sexual Offences

      1. Section 1: Rape

      2. Section 2: Assault by penetration

      3. Section 3: Sexual assault

      4. Section 4: Causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent

      5. Section 5: Rape of a child under 13

      6. Section 6: Assault of a child under 13 by penetration

      7. Section 7: Sexual assault of a child under 13

      8. Section 8: Causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity

      9. Section 9: Sexual activity with a child

      10. Section 10: Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity

      11. Section 11: Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child

      12. Section 12: Causing a child to watch a sexual act

      13. Section 13: Child sex offences committed by children or young persons

      14. Section 14: Arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence

      15. Section 15: Meeting a child following sexual grooming etc.

      16. Section 16: Abuse of position of trust: sexual activity with a child

        Section 17: Abuse of position of trust: causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity

        Section 18: Abuse of position of trust: sexual activity in the presence of a child

        Section 19: Abuse of position of trust: causing a child to watch a sexual act

      17. Section 20: Abuse of position of trust: acts done in Scotland

      18. Section 21: Positions of trust

        Section 22: Positions of trust: interpretation

      19. Section 23: Sections 16 to 19: marriage exception

      20. Section 24: Sections 16 to 19: sexual relationships which pre-date position of trust

      21. Section 25: Sexual activity with a child family member

      22. Section 26: Inciting a child family member to engage in sexual activity

      23. Section 27: Family relationships

      24. Section 28: Sections 25 and 26: marriage exception

      25. Section 29: Sections 25 and 26: sexual relationships which pre-date family relationships

      26. Section 30: Sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice

        Section 31: Causing or inciting a person, with a mental disorder impeding choice, to engage in sexual activity

        Section 32: Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a person with a mental disorder impeding choice

        Section 33: Causing a person, with a mental disorder impeding choice, to watch a sexual act

      27. Section 34: Inducement, threat or deception to procure sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder

        Section 35: Causing a person with a mental disorder to engage in or to agree to engage in sexual activity by inducement, threat or deception

        Section 36: Engaging in sexual activity in the presence, procured by inducement, threat or deception, of a person with a mental disorder

        Section 37: Causing a person with a mental disorder to watch a sexual act by inducement, threat or deception

      28. Section 38: Care workers: sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder

        Section 39: Care workers: causing or inciting sexual activity

        Section 40: Care workers: sexual activity in the presence of a person with a mental disorder

        Section 41: Care workers: causing a person with a mental disorder to watch a sexual act

      29. Section 42: Care workers: interpretation

      30. Section 43: Sections 38 to 41: marriage exception

      31. Section 44: Sections 38 to 41: sexual relationships which pre-date care relationships

      32. Section 45: Indecent photographs of persons aged 16 or 17

      33. Section 46: Criminal proceedings, investigations etc.

      34. Section 47: Paying for sexual services of a child

      35. Section 48: Causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography

      36. Section 49: Controlling a child prostitute or a child involved in pornography

      37. Section 50: Arranging or facilitating child prostitution or pornography

      38. Section 51: Sections 48 to 50: Interpretation

      39. Section 52: Causing or inciting prostitution for gain

      40. Section 53: Controlling prostitution for gain

      41. Section 54: Sections 52 and 53: interpretation

      42. Section 55: Penalties for keeping a brothel used for prostitution

      43. Section 56: Extension of gender-specific prostitution offences

      44. Section 57: Trafficking into the UK for sexual exploitation

      45. Section 58: Trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation

      46. Section 59: Trafficking out of the UK for sexual exploitation

      47. Section 60: Sections 57 to 59: interpretation and jurisdiction

      48. Section 61: Administering a substance with intent

      49. Section 62: Committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence

      50. Section 63 Trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence

      51. Section 64: Sex with an adult relative: penetration

        Section 65: Sex with an adult relative: consenting to penetration

      52. Section 66: Exposure

      53. Section 67: Voyeurism

      54. Section 68: Voyeurism: interpretation

      55. Section 69: Intercourse with an animal

      56. Section 70: Sexual penetration of a corpse

      57. Section 71: Sexual activity in a public lavatory

      58. Section 72: Offences outside the United Kingdom

      59. Section 73: Exceptions to aiding, abetting or counselling

      60. Section 74: "Consent"

      61. Section 75: Evidential presumptions about consent

      62. Section 76: Conclusive presumptions about consent

      63. Section 77: Sections 75 and 76: relevant acts

      64. Section 78: "Sexual"

      65. Section 79: General interpretation

    2. Part 2: Notification and Orders

      1. Section 80: Persons becoming subject to notification requirements

      2. Section 81: Persons formerly subject to Part 1 of the Sex Offenders Act 1997

      3. Section 82: The notification period

      4. Section 83: Notification requirements: initial notification

      5. Section 84: Notification requirements: changes

      6. Section 85: Notification requirements: periodic notification

      7. Section 86: Notification requirements: travel outside the United Kingdom

      8. Section 87: Method of notification and related matters

      9. Section 88: Section 87: interpretation

      10. Section 89: Young offenders: parental directions

      11. Section 90: Parental directions: variations, renewals and discharges

      12. Section 91: Offences relating to notification

      13. Section 92: Certificates for the purposes of Part 2

      14. Section 93: Abolished homosexual offences

      15. Section 94: Part 2: supply of information to Secretary of State etc. for verification

      16. Section 95: Part 2: supply of information by Secretary of State etc.

      17. Section 96: Information about release or transfer

      18. Section 97: Notification orders: applications and grounds

      19. Section 98: Notification orders: effect

      20. Section 99: Sections 97 and 98: relevant offences

      21. Section 100: Interim notification orders

      22. Section 101: Notification orders and interim notification orders: appeals

      23. Section 102: Appeals in relation to notification orders and interim notification orders: Scotland

      24. Section 103: Sections 97 to 100: Scotland

      25. Section 104: Sexual offences prevention orders: applications and grounds

      26. Section 105: SOPOs: further provision as respects Scotland

      27. Section 106: Section 104: supplemental

      28. Section 107: SOPOs: effect

      29. Section 108: SOPOs: variations, renewals and discharges

      30. Section 109: Interim SOPOs

      31. Section 110: SOPOs and interim SOPOs: appeals

      32. Section 111: Appeals in relation to SOPOs and interim SOPOs: Scotland

      33. Section 112: Sections 104 and 106 to 109: Scotland

      34. Section 113: Offence: breach of SOPO or interim SOPO

      35. Section 114: Foreign travel orders: applications and grounds

      36. Section 115: Section 114: interpretation

      37. Section 116: Section 114: qualifying offenders

      38. Section 117: Foreign travel orders: effect

      39. Section 118: Foreign travel orders: variations, renewals and discharges

      40. Section 119: Foreign travel orders: appeals

      41. Section 120: Appeals in relation to foreign travel orders: Scotland

      42. Section 121: Sections 114 to 118: Scotland

      43. Section 122: Offence: breach of foreign travel order

      44. Section 123: Risk of sexual harm order: applications, grounds and effects

      45. Section 124: Section 123: interpretation.

      46. Section 125: RSHOs: variations, renewals and discharges

      47. Section 126: Interim RSHOs

      48. Section 127: RSHOs and Interim RSHOs : appeals

      49. Section 128: Offence: breach of RSHO or Interim RSHO

      50. Section 129: Effect of a conviction etc. of an offence under section 128

      51. Section 130: Power to amend Schedules 3 and 5

      52. Section 131: Young offenders: application

      53. Section 132: Offences with thresholds

      54. Section 133: Part 2: General interpretation

      55. Section 134: Conditional discharges and probation orders

      56. Section 135: Interpretation: mentally disordered offenders

      57. Section 136: Part 2: Northern Ireland

    3. Part 3: General

      1. Section 137: Service courts

        1. Clause 141: Commencement

  6. Commencement

  7. Hansard References

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Explanatory Notes

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