Legal issues
Key issues can include the defendant’s age, the complainant’s age, reasonable belief as to age, whether the communication was sexual within the statutory definition, and whether the defendant acted for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.
Evidence that matters
Evidence usually includes complete chats, account records, device extraction, profile information, platform data, images, deleted-message recovery, login history and the interview account.
Reasonable lines of enquiry
Reasonable enquiries may include obtaining full message threads rather than extracts, testing account ownership and device use, preserving platform records and examining material relevant to what age was represented or believed.
What happens next
The offence is either way and carries a maximum of two years’ imprisonment on indictment. Investigations commonly involve forensic examination of phones and online accounts.
Immediate steps
Do not delete chats, profiles or devices. Preserve complete threads and account data. Record what was known or represented about age at the relevant time.
What should you send us?
Send the allegation, interview/bail documents, complete messages, profile/account details, device information, age-related material and next date.