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Sexual Offences

The Sexual Offences Act 2003 updated the law, much of which dated back to 1956.

The main provisions of the Act include the following:

  • Rape is widened to include oral penetration
  • Significant changes to the issue of consent
  • Specific offences relating to children under 13, 16 and 18
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  • Other miscellaneous offences
  • Strengthening the notification requirements and providing new civil preventative orders

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The Crown Prosecution Service acts in partnership with other agencies such as the police, the youth justice board, children's services, courts and youth offending teams. Each area of the CPS has a youth justice specialist who oversees the prosecution of youth crime in their area.

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Home » News Centre » Press Releases » Convictions for internet rape plan

Convictions for internet rape plan

01/12/2006

Three men were today convicted at London's Southwark Crown Court of a conspiracy to rape a girl under 16, based on a discussion in an internet chat room.

Although they had never met, David Beavan, Alan Hedgcock and Robert Mayers hatched a plot to rape and allegedly murder a girl with chilling references to the Soham murders. They were acquitted of conspiracy to murder.

CPS London South Sector lawyer Usha Shergill said:

"Any agreement to commit acts such as rape - however remote the end result may be - has to be treated with the full force of the law. Working with Scotland Yard's Paedophile Unit before charge, I knew the moment to advise arrest and charge had come as soon as this discussion took place.

"Even though the defendants had entered guilty pleas to the possession of indecent images, I opted not to drop the conspiracy charges and we rejected Beavan's claims that he was acting as a vigilante to try to prevent this event happening."

  1. Media enquiries to CPS Press Office on 020 7710 6088.
  2. Sentencing will take place in January.
  3. David Beavan and Alan Hedgcock were jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to rape a girl below the age of 16 years, and one of conspiracy to murder on or before 13 January 2006.
  4. David Beavan and Robert Simon Mayers were charged with one count of conspiracy to rape a girl below the age of 16 years on or before 20 January 2006.

Guilty pleas offered

  1. David Beavan was charged with five counts of distribution of indecent photographs of a child, 12 counts of making indecent photographs of a child and two counts of possession of indecent photographs of a child.
  2. Alan Hedgcock was charged with two counts of distribution of indecent photographs of a child, 10 counts of making indecent photographs of a child and three counts of possession of indecent photographs of a child.
  3. Robert Simon Mayers was charged with four counts of distribution of indecent photographs of a child, eight counts of making indecent photographs of a child and two counts of possession of indecent photographs of a child.
  4. Beavan was based in Hampshire, Hedgcock in West London and Mayers in Cheshire, there was no evidence that they met face to face before charge.

Further background

  1. Beavan, Hedgcock and Mayers used a free and reputable software download (hello.com) which enables users to chat with other registered users and exchange photos. Beavan came forward to Bournemouth police on 3 January 2006 and disclosed a DVD which contained some information from chat logs. Surveillance started from that point. Hedgcock was arrested on 12 January 2006 and Mayers 20 February.