Soliciting for the purposes of prostitution still remains an offence for which children can be arrested and charged, the charity said. And in some areas children as young as 12 were being brought before the courts when the adult abusers were not prosecuted, it claimed.
This is despite new legislation making it an offence for adults to purchase sex from children, or to encourage them into sexual exploitation (Children Now, 5-11 May 2004).
One sexually exploited 14-year-old said: "I was scared the first time. He sat in his car and watched me so I couldn't run away when a punter stopped."
Barnardo's is also calling for an overhaul of police resources, allowing them to focus more on identifying and prosecuting adults who exploit children. Improved resources and services for victims are also needed, it said.
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