SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Tougher laws on sexual exploitation of children

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Sexual exploitation of children will be punished more severely after a new law passed a final parliamentary hurdle.

Those found to have supplied, distributed or made an “objectionable material” face a maximum 14 years in prison, up from 10.

The penalty for possession, import and export also increases, from five years to 10.

And those convicted of a child exploitation material offence will almost certainly go to jail, under the Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill.

The bill also targets paedophiles who attempt to “groom” under-16s online by establishing a new offence of “indecent communication with a young person”.

It will apply to texts, verbal and any other communications.

And it closes a legal loophole, ensuring that Kiwis who assist foreigners in sexual exploitation of children overseas can be prosecuted here. [Read more…]

Online porn is an issue that we cannot shy away from says Head of Childrens Charity

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Sue Minto Head of our ChildLine service – a registered Childrens Charity – explains why the issue of porn is being addressed with latest campaign.

For over 29 years we have strived to address the issues that young people tell us are affecting them. Cyber-bullying, self-harm and suicidal thoughts are just a few of the subjects we have helped children to deal with and to overcome.

As a charity that fights for every childhood we will always listen to what young people are telling us – which is why we have launched the Childline FAPZ campaign (the Fight Against Porn Zombies).

It is impossible to ignore 18,000 visits every month about exposure to porn on our discussion forums from children and young people or that one in ten 12-13 year olds are worried they are addicted to porn.

We have to remember that these aren’t just shocking numbers – they are real children. These young people are confused, upset, feel like they have to behave or look like porn stars to have relationships and at the worst end are in danger of engaging with harmful sexual behaviour. We cannot ignore the fact there are lots of children who are feeling this way across the UK.

For full article go to:

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/fighting-for-childhood/news-opinion/sue-minto-we-cannot-shy-away-talking-about-porn/

‘Pornography addiction worry’ for tenth of 12 to 13-year-olds – BBC News

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A tenth of 12 to 13-year-olds fear they are “addicted” to pornography, an NSPCC ChildLine survey has concluded.

One in five of nearly 700 youngsters surveyed said they had seen pornographic images that had shocked or upset them, researchers found.

The childrens charity also says that 12% of those surveyed said they had taken part in, or had made, a sexually explicit video.

It says that viewing porn is “a part of everyday life” for many of the children who contact its helpline.

ChildLine has launched a campaign to raise awareness and provide advice to young people about the harmful implications of an over exposure to porn following the survey results.

Full Story: http://www.bbc.com/news/education-32115162

By Patrick Howse – Education reporter

Also visit charity website: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Revealed: Millionaire drug addict Mark Lyon convicted of sex charges

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Millionaire drug addict Mark Lyon can be revealed as the 59-year-old businessman convicted of a range of drug and sex offences last year, including offences against girls as young as 14.

Name suppression lapsed at 5pm today, exposing Lyon as using methamphetamine to exploit sex acts from girls – and carrying out a prolonged punishment assault against a woman shackled in a “dungeon”.

The woman’s agony through the sexual assault was such she begged Lyon to rape her so it would be over.

Lyon was sentenced to 15 years in jail in December in the High Court at Auckland with a minimum of eight years to be served before a parole hearing. He stood trial with a woman aged 20 who was also found guilty on charges of getting Lyon young girls for his sexual gratification.

The prison sentence brings to an end the millionaire property developer’s public fall from grace. He went from being one of the city’s most insightful businessmen to someone immersed in drug culture and preyed on by gang members.

The charges came after a police raid on a 29-apartment building owned by Lyon in Eden Terrace which he used to house associates and friends immersed in the same lifestyle.

Police had unpicked the case after Lyon’s co-accused – conflicted over her role – told a youth aid officer Lyon was using her to get young girls for sex. [Read more…]

Sex partners traceable under proposed law

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People with sexually transmitted infections could be forced to disclose their sexual histories to public health officers under a new law introduced to Parliament this week.

The Health (Protection) Amendment Bill passed its first reading on Thursday. The bill would give greater powers to public health officers and ban the use of tanning beds for under-18s.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said the measures were to better protect the public from the risk of infectious diseases.

The bill would make it an offence to not comply with “contact tracers”, health officials whose role was to determine who a person with a transmissible disease had been in contact with and whether they could have contracted the disease too.

Coleman said voluntary compliance with health officials was the preferred option but provisions in the bill allowed for incremental interventions. “Currently contact tracing is voluntary,” he said. “Some people do not co-operate.”

The bill also provides for the District Court to make public health orders which could see individuals detained in hospitals, prevented from working or barred from using public transport.

As well, it places HIV, gonorrhea and syphilis on the list of notifiable diseases, meaning more information about cases would be collected by health authorities.

See full story:

by Blake Crayton-Brown. 8/11/14

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10718841/Sex-partners-traceable-under-proposed-law