New South Wales Bills

[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]


This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


CRIMES AMENDMENT (SEXUAL PROCUREMENT OR GROOMING OF CHILDREN) BILL 2007





                                New South Wales




Crimes Amendment (Sexual
Procurement or Grooming of Children)
Bill 2007


Contents

                                                                                Page
                   1   Name of Act                                                2
                   2   Commencement                                               2
                   3   Amendment of Crimes Act 1900 No 40                         2
                   4   Consequential amendments to Criminal Procedure Act
                       1986 No 209                                                2
                   5   Consequential amendment to Child Protection (Offenders
                       Registration) Act 2000 No 42                               2
              6        Repeal of Act                                              2
     Schedule 1        Amendment of Crimes Act 1900 No 40                         3
     Schedule 2        Consequential amendments to Criminal Procedure Act
                       1986 No 209                                                6
     Schedule 3        Consequential amendment to Child Protection (Offenders
                       Registration) Act 2000 No 42                               7




b2007-078-33.d09
                           New South Wales




Crimes Amendment (Sexual
Procurement or Grooming of Children)
Bill 2007
No     , 2007


A Bill for

An Act to amend the Crimes Act 1900 with respect to the sexual procurement or
grooming of children, and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.
                  Crimes Amendment (Sexual Procurement or Grooming of Children) Bill
Clause 1          2007




The Legislature of New South Wales enacts:                                                1

 1    Name of Act                                                                         2

               This Act is the Crimes Amendment (Sexual Procurement or Grooming           3
               of Children) Act 2007.                                                     4

 2    Commencement                                                                        5

               This Act commences on a day to be appointed by proclamation.               6

 3    Amendment of Crimes Act 1900 No 40                                                  7

               The Crimes Act 1900 is amended as set out in Schedule 1.                   8

 4    Consequential amendments to Criminal Procedure Act 1986 No 209                      9

               The Criminal Procedure Act 1986 is amended as set out in Schedule 2.      10

 5    Consequential amendment to Child Protection (Offenders Registration)               11
      Act 2000 No 42                                                                     12

               The Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 is amended as      13
               set out in Schedule 3.                                                    14

 6    Repeal of Act                                                                      15

         (1)   This Act is repealed on the day following the day on which this Act       16
               commences.                                                                17

         (2)   The repeal of this Act does not, because of the operation of section 30   18
               of the Interpretation Act 1987, affect any amendment made by this Act.    19




Page 2
Crimes Amendment (Sexual Procurement or Grooming of Children) Bill
2007

Amendment of Crimes Act 1900 No 40                                      Schedule 1




Schedule 1             Amendment of Crimes Act 1900 No 40                                 1

                                                                           (Section 3)    2

[1]    Section 66EB                                                                       3

       Insert after section 66EA:                                                         4

      66EB   Procuring or grooming child under 16 for unlawful sexual activity            5

             (1)    Definitions                                                           6

                    In this section:                                                      7
                    adult person means a person who is of or over the age of              8
                    18 years.                                                             9
                    child means a person who is under the age of 16 years.               10
                    conduct includes:                                                    11
                     (a) communicating in person or by telephone, the internet or        12
                           other means, or                                               13
                    (b) providing any computer image, video or publication.              14
                    unlawful sexual activity means an act that constitutes an offence    15
                    under this Division or Division 10A or 15 (or, in the case of an     16
                    act occurring outside this State, that would constitute such an      17
                    offence if it occurred in this State).                               18

             (2)    Procuring children                                                   19

                    An adult person who intentionally procures a child for unlawful      20
                    sexual activity with that or any other person is guilty of an        21
                    offence.                                                             22
                    Maximum penalty:                                                     23
                    (a) in the case of a child who is under the age of 14 years--        24
                          imprisonment for 15 years, or                                  25
                    (b) in any other case--imprisonment for 12 years.                    26

             (3)    Grooming children                                                    27

                    An adult person:                                                     28
                     (a) who engages in any conduct that exposes a child to              29
                           indecent material or provides a child with an intoxicating    30
                           substance, and                                                31
                    (b) who does so with the intention of making it easier to            32
                           procure the child for unlawful sexual activity with that or   33
                           any other person,                                             34
                    is guilty of an offence.                                             35




                                                                              Page 3
               Crimes Amendment (Sexual Procurement or Grooming of Children) Bill
               2007

Schedule 1     Amendment of Crimes Act 1900 No 40




                   Maximum penalty:                                                       1
                   (a) in the case of a child who is under the age of 14 years--          2
                        imprisonment for 12 years, or                                     3
                   (b) in any other case--imprisonment for 10 years.                      4

             (4)   Unlawful sexual activity need not be particularised                    5

                   In any proceedings for an offence against this section, it is          6
                   necessary to prove that the child was or was to be procured for        7
                   unlawful sexual activity, but it is not necessary to specify or to     8
                   prove any particular unlawful sexual activity.                         9

             (5)   Fictitious children                                                   10

                   A reference in this section to a child includes a reference to a      11
                   person who pretends to be a child if the accused believed that the    12
                   person was a child. In that case, a reference in this section:        13
                   (a) to unlawful sexual activity includes a reference to anything      14
                         that would be unlawful sexual activity if the person were a     15
                         child, and                                                      16
                   (b) to the age of the child is a reference to the age that the        17
                         accused believed the person to be.                              18

             (6)   Charge for aggravated offence                                         19

                   The higher maximum penalty under subsection (2) or (3) in the         20
                   case of a child under the age of 14 years does not apply unless the   21
                   age of the child is set out in the charge for the offence.            22

             (7)   Defence                                                               23

                   It is a defence in proceedings for an offence against this section    24
                   if the accused reasonably believed that the other person was not      25
                   a child.                                                              26

             (8)   Alternative verdict                                                   27

                   If on the trial of a person charged with an offence against           28
                   subsection (2) the jury is not satisfied that the offence is proven   29
                   but is satisfied that the person has committed an offence against     30
                   subsection (3), the jury may acquit the person of the offence         31
                   charged and find the person guilty of an offence against              32
                   subsection (3). The person is liable to punishment accordingly.       33

[2]   Section 77 Consent no defence in certain cases                                     34

      Insert ", 66EB" after "66EA".                                                      35




Page 4
Crimes Amendment (Sexual Procurement or Grooming of Children) Bill
2007

Amendment of Crimes Act 1900 No 40                                   Schedule 1




[3]   Section 562A Definition of "personal violence offence"                       1
      Insert ", 66EB" after "66EA".                                                2




                                                                          Page 5
               Crimes Amendment (Sexual Procurement or Grooming of Children) Bill
               2007

Schedule 2     Consequential amendments to Criminal Procedure Act 1986 No 209




Schedule 2            Consequential amendments to Criminal                              1
                      Procedure Act 1986 No 209                                         2

                                                                          (Section 4)   3

[1]   Section 3 (1) Definition of "prescribed sexual offence"                           4

      Insert ", 66EB" after "66EA".                                                     5

[2]   Schedule 1 Indictable offences triable summarily                                  6

      Omit "or 61O (1) or (1A)" from clause 1 of Table 2.                               7

      Insert instead ", 61O (1) or (1A) or 66EB".                                       8




Page 6
Crimes Amendment (Sexual Procurement or Grooming of Children) Bill
2007

Consequential amendment to Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act   Schedule 3
2000 No 42



Schedule 3              Consequential amendment to Child                                   1
                        Protection (Offenders Registration) Act                            2
                        2000 No 42                                                         3

                                                                             (Section 5)   4

      Section 3 (1) Definition of "Class 2 offence"                                        5

      Insert after paragraph (a):                                                          6
                   (a1) an offence under section 66EB of the Crimes Act 1900, or           7




                                                                                Page 7


 


[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]