Fury as UK set to become ‘playground for sex offenders’ as 13k paedophiles avoid prison | UK | News

Britain has been warned it will “become a playground for sex offenders” as Labor faces calls for tougher sentences for pedophiles. It comes after shocking new analysis of court records revealed nearly 13,000 pedophiles who hoarded child abuse images have escaped prison in the past five years.

According to reports, less than 20 percent of child sex offenders convicted since mid-2020 were sent to prison immediately. Of the 15,867 convicts, only 2,910 were immediately imprisoned, while 12,957 avoided time behind bars. Most were given community service or had their sentences suspended.

According to the analysis, there were 92 cases of conditional or absolute dismissal. Sun.

According to the newspaper, among those who escaped from prison there were those who were caught with Category A images.

Experts and police officials are calling on David Lammy to make prison sentences mandatory for those found guilty of possessing child sexual images, as the Justice Secretary faces calls to take a tougher stance.

Specialist sexual offenses solicitor Marcus Johnstone, of PCD Solicitors, told The Sun: “The UK will become a playground for sex offenders. They will realize that nothing will actually happen to them if they are caught in the UK.”

Peter Bleksley, a former detective with the Metropolitan Police, said the only punishment that should be imposed were “strict” conditions of detention.

“The government must act sooner rather than later to fix this,” he told the newspaper.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Sentences are imposed by independent judges.”