Proposed reforms to Commonwealth child sex-related offences

15/09/2009

The Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department has invited the public to comment on proposed reforms to child sexual exploitation laws. The public has until Friday, 23 October to comment on the proposal.

The proposed reforms:

• strengthen child sex tourism laws and introduce offences for dealing in child pornography or child abuse material overseas so all behaviour relating to sexual offences against children by Australians within Australia is also criminalised when committed by Australians overseas;

• strengthen offences to ensure that child sexual exploitation is comprehensively covered, whether committed online, through the post or using convergent devices such as mobile phones;

• increase the maximum penalties for the carriage service (online) child pornography and child abuse material offences to 15 years imprisonment, and

• introduce new aggravated offences relating to child pornography networks that carry a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment.

15 September 2009