Frequently Asked Questions

ANSWER> Most Safer Lives clients who have been charged with online or other sexual offences do not go to prison. In fact, only a small minority do. We try to prepare those clients who are likely to go to prison, as well as those who want to be prepared for that worst case scenario.   If someone’s case goes to court then there are normally three sentencing options – a Community Order, an immediate prison sentence, or a Suspended Sentence.  ​ Community Orders  Community Orders last up to three years. There are about thirteen requirements that can be added to Community Orders, but only three or four are usually relevant to our clients. These are:  Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days - For example, appointments with a probation officer.  Building Choices – A psychologically informed programme which is facilitated by probation staff over 26 sessions. This is normally conducted in small groups and/or via individual appointments.  Unpaid Work -  40-300 hours of community service (also known as Community Payback).  Curfew by electronic monitoring. - Tagging to enforce a night-time curfew. This is not commonly used for our clients but is occasionally used as a punishment.  Suspended Sentence  This is the most common outcome for online offences. Technically, a Suspended Sentence is a custodial sentence, but the person doesn’t usually go to prison. The court will issue a prison sentence which is then suspended. This means that the person doesn’t go to prison unless they breach the sentence conditions through relevant re-offending or by not complying with conditions such as reporting to probation appointments. To be eligible for a Suspended Sentence the prison sentence issued must be two years or less.  Sentences can be suspended for up to two years. The government is looking to increase this to three years, although some offences will be excluded.  Suspended Sentences usually come with a Suspended Sentence Order, which works exactly like a Community Order, but breach of it can lead to the suspended imprisonment being imposed.      Prison Sentence  Prison sentences are available to the court and in a minority of cases a prison sentence will be the outcome. You can expect to be moved from court to a ‘local prison’ where you should be accommodated on the Vulnerable Prison Wing, which is safer than other wings. You would serve half of your sentence in prison, and half on licence to the  Probation Service.  In summary  Community Orders and Suspended Sentences will be considered by the court when any prison sentence that could be issued is two years or less, and where the court can be confident that rehabilitation is the better option. For people who put themselves on a path of rehabilitation before any court appearances, the court can have additional confidence to choose an outcome that doesn’t involve immediate imprisonment.

ANSWER> A minority of online sexual offending cases will be reported in local or national press, or on online news websites. However, it is difficult to predict who will or won’t be reported. Your chances of being reported will be heightened if: You have previous convictions for sexual offences You have worked or volunteered in a position of trust with children and young people (eg. teacher, doctor, police officer, Scout leader) There is some other public interest in your case (eg. you are a notable figure such as a local politician, notable TV personality) If the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are keen to give greater details of your case in open court, where press may be present. If you live in a very different area to where you were investigated and are going to court, then your case is less likely to be reported by local news outlets. For instance, if you live in Manchester, but your case was investigated in Surrey and you are going to court there, then the local Surrey newspapers will probably be less interested in it. Generally, the more urban an area you live in, the less likely reporting will be. This is due to the volume of cases going through the court. For example, Birmingham has a large crown court with many cases taking place each day, whereas York crown court sees less cases and therefore reporters have less choice of cases to sit in on. Increasingly, our clients report that the prospect of being reported through online news sites is one of their greatest worries. It makes sense to reduce your online presence, including any photos you have online which can be tagged, or used to show your identity. Some of our clients have changed their names to try to hide their identity. Be aware that this can backfire and bring you to greater attention, making your case more noteworthy for reporting. Avoid doing your own research online about cases in your area or nationally, or using search engines to try and understand what outcomes you should expect. The information you find will not accurately reflect your own individual case and circumstance. Doing your own ad-hoc research could increase your anxiety and give you a negatively skewed view of the potential outcome of your case. For an informed opinion, seek advice from experienced professionals such as the team at Safer Lives.

ANSWER> The police will use their discretion when deciding whether to disclose the details of your investigation to other people or agencies. If you have children under 18 you should expect the police to refer your children for some form of assessment by children’s social care (social workers). This does not mean your children will be removed from the family. You should also presume the police will disclose your investigation to carers of children you are involved with. This could be to grandparents, ex-partners, schools or nurseries. If your work or volunteering brings you into contact with young or vulnerable people you should expect the police to disclose what is happening to your employer, who will then decide on their course of action. Other than these situations, if no-one else is already aware of your investigation, the decision on whether to disclose your circumstances will normally be yours. Be aware, that the more people you tell, the more you risk losing control of other people disclosing your situation to a wider group of people. Seeking support is an important step to help you cope with your current situation and make changes so you can move forward. Disclosing your investigation to your close family, GP and others is recommended if you have trust in them. For understanding whether you might be reported, please read the FAQ on “Will my case be reported?”

ANSWER> Following an arrest or police intervention for sexual offences, it is normal to feel shame. It would be unusual if you did not. Try to remember that you may have made mistakes, but they do not define your whole character. By reframing shame as guilt you can take responsibility, make positive changes, and address your negative behaviours and move forward. Break things down into manageable tasks – have a shower, get dressed, go for a walk. Take things one step at a time. Remember that you are not alone and there are organisations, including Safer Lives, that can help. For more information see the Our Services and Further Support pages of our website. If you would like to read more about turning shame (about yourself) into guilt (about what you have done), and what you can do to help yourself, go to to our Blog page and read our blog post, "How Do I Cope When I'm Overwhelmed By Shame?"

ANSWER> If illegal material is found on your device(s), and you are subsequently convicted of related offences in Court, the Court will pass a Destruction Order that directs the Police to destroy the relevant devices. Otherwise, you should get your devices back, but not until the Police are confident they don’t contain illegal material or other evidence of criminal activity. If you have personal information you want to be retrieved, you can ask the Court to allow an independent third-party consultant to abstract the information. You would have to pay the fees of the consultant who would have to arrange this with the Police. We have only come across this on very rare occasions. If you want this, you should ask your solicitor to make relevant representations at court. On occasions when illegal material or evidence is found on devices, but the case does not go to court, the police may ask you to sign a voluntary agreement for destruction of your device(s).