Jonathan Mills pleaded guilty to downloading 60 indecent photographs of children from the internet. The judge at Bournemouth Crown Court decided he had already suffered "embarrassment and humiliation". He imposed a three-year conditional discharge.
As the current law stands, the judge was unable to require Mills to be added to the so-called sex offenders' register. This led The Sun to declare that Mills therefore does not have to tell future employers about his conviction - and can work with kids again. The paper suggested that the Home Office is drafting plans to close the loophole.
Well, yes and no. The loophole that someone with a conditional discharge cannot be put on the sex offenders' register is indeed to be closed. But this was well in hand anyway. It was dealt with in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and becomes effective from 1 May.
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