Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Act 2007
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Number 6 of 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRIMINAL LAW (SEXUAL OFFENCES) (AMENDMENT) ACT 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Section | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2. Soliciting or importuning for purposes of commission of sexual offence. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Acts Referred to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Number 6 of 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRIMINAL LAW (SEXUAL OFFENCES) (AMENDMENT) ACT 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CRIMINAL LAW (SEXUAL OFFENCES) ACT 1993, THE CHILD TRAFFICKING AND PORNOGRAPHY ACT 1998 AND THE CRIMINAL LAW (SEXUAL OFFENCES) ACT 2006; AND TO PROVIDE FOR MATTERS CONNECTED THEREWITH. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[7th March, 2007] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Definitions. |
1.— In this Act— | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
“ Act of 1981 ” means Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“Act of 1990” means the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990 ; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“ Act of 1993 ” means the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 ; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“ Act of 2006 ” means the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006 . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soliciting or importuning for purposes of commission of sexual offence. |
2.— The Act of 1993 is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 6 (inserted by section 250 of the Children Act 2001 ): | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
“6.— (1) A person who solicits or importunes a child (whether or not for the purposes of prostitution) for the purposes of the commission of an act that would constitute an offence— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) under section 2 or 3 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006 , or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(b) referred to in section 2 of the Act of 1990, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
shall be guilty of an offence. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2) A person who solicits or importunes a person who is mentally impaired (whether or not for the purposes of prostitution) for the purposes of the commission of an act that would constitute an offence— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) under section 5 of this Act, or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(b) referred to in section 2 of the Act of 1990, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
shall be guilty of an offence. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €5,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to both, or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(b) on conviction on indictment to a fine, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or to both. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(4) In this section— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
‘Act of 1990’ means the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990 ; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
‘ child ’ means a person under the age of 17 years; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
‘ mentally impaired ’ has the same meaning as it has in section 5 of this Act.”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Application of certain enactments. |
3.— (1) Section 4A of the Act of 1981 is amended, in subsection (6), by the insertion after “an offence under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006 ” (inserted by section 6(2) of the Act of 2006) of “an offence under section 6 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 ”. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2) References in section 3 of the Act of 1981 to jury shall, in the case of summary proceedings for an offence under section 6 (inserted by section 2 ), be construed as references to court. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(3) Sections 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 of the Act of 1981 shall apply to an offence under section 6 of the Act of 1993 subject to the modification that references in any of those sections to— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) sexual assault offence shall be construed as including references to an offence under section 6 of the Act of 1993, and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(b) rape offence shall be construed as including references to an offence under section 6 of the Act of 1993. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(4) Section 26 of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 is amended, in subsection (3)(b), by the substitution of “an offence under section 6 (inserted by section 2 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences)(Amendment) Act 2007) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 , or of an offence under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006 ” for “unlawful carnal knowledge under section 1 or 2 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1935 ”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amendment of certain enactments. |
4.— (1) Section 2 of the Criminal Evidence Act 1992 is amended, in the definition of “sexual offence”, by the insertion of the following paragraph: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
“(aa) section 6 (inserted by section 2 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Act 2007) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 ;”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2) The Schedule to the Sexual Offences (Jurisdiction) Act 1996 is amended by the insertion of the following paragraph: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“2. Section 6 (inserted by section 2 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Act 2007) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 .”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(3) The Schedule to the Bail Act 1997 is amended by the insertion of the following paragraph: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“12B. An offence under section 6 (inserted by section 2 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Act 2007) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 .”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(4) The Schedule to the Sex Offenders Act 2001 is amended by the insertion of the following paragraph: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“21. An offence under section 6 (inserted by section 2 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Act 2007) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 .”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amendment of Act of 2006. |
5.— (1) Section 3 of the Act of 2006 is amended— | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) in paragraph (a) of subsection (2), by the substitution of “5 years” for “2 years”, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(b) in paragraph (b) of subsection (2), by the substitution of “10 years” for “4 years”, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(c) in paragraph (a) of subsection (4), by the substitution of “10 years” for “4 years”, and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(d) in paragraph (b) of subsection (4), by the substitution of “15 years” for “7 years”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2) Section 6 of the Act of 2006 is amended by the insertion of the following subsection: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“(1A) References in section 3 of the Act of 1981 to jury shall, in the case of summary proceedings for an offence under this Act, be construed as references to court.”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Meeting child for purpose of sexual exploitation. |
6.— Section 3 of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 is amended by— | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) the insertion of the following subsections: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“(2A) Any person who within the State— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) intentionally meets, or travels with the intention of meeting, a child, having met or communicated with that child on 2 or more previous occasions, and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(b) does so for the purpose of doing anything that would constitute sexual exploitation of the child, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2B) Any person, being a citizen of the State or being ordinarily resident in the State, who outside the State— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) intentionally meets, or travels with the intention of meeting, a child, having met or communicated with that child on 2 or more previous occasions, and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(b) does so for the purpose of doing anything that would constitute sexual exploitation of the child, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years.”, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(b) the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (3): | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“(3) In this section ‘ sexual exploitation ’ means, in relation to a child— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) inviting, inducing or coercing the child to engage in prostitution or the production of child pornography, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(b) using the child for prostitution or the production of child pornography, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(c) inviting, inducing or coercing the child to participate in any sexual activity which is an offence under any enactment, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(d) the commission of any such offence against the child, or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(e) inviting, inducing or coercing the child to participate in or observe any activity of a sexual or indecent nature.”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Short title. |
7.— This Act may be cited as the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Act 2007 . |