The SOPO - A Punishment Without A Crime (Part 1)

SOPOs (i.e. Sexual Offences Prevention Orders) are now being used*, in lieu of prison sentences, to punish, satiate ill-informed public and police opinion and to infringe (no, stomp all over) the civil and Human Rights of ex-offenders. It should also be noted, that a SOPO may be applied for, against ex-offenders who have no previous 'sexual' convictions.

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Sexual Offences Prevention Orders - Andrew Keogh
This eBook is provided free to all CrimeLine users with our compliments
November 2011, CrimeLine

Sexual Offences Prevention Orders after R. v. Smith - Nicola Devas
Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (SOPO’s) were introduced by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 ss104-113 and have recently been extensively reviewed by the Court of Appeal in the case of R .v. Smith & others, OPB 2012

Is My SOPO Lawful? - 13KBW

R v Beeden – Case Comment (Breach of a SOPO)

SEXUAL OFFENCES PREVENTION ORDERS - VOLUMES 1 AND 2

Individuals convicted of sexual offences - Sexual offence convictions - SOPOs Included

Sexual Offences - Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) - CPS

S113. Breach of SOPO or interim SOPO - CPS

Guidance On Part 2 Of The Sexual Offences Act 2003 - HO

Sexual Offences Act: Definitive Guidelines - SGC

Sexual Offences Prevention Orders – Tips for practitioners

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Here is one example, there will be more to follow:

Re: SOR legislation fighting fund!...« Reply #40 on: Today at 10:33:17 »

"I work with someone who is on the Register and still has a job - though not the same job he had before his conviction for downloading. He is basically a good man, in his late 50s. The prosecution got a SOPO and tried to stop him having Internet access but because of the ruling in R v Smith and others last year they had to allow him access through the library. He can't even have Internet access on his phone. He wasn't imprisoned for the offences but obviously would be if he reoffended. Instead he is on a 3 year probation order and on the register for life.

Apparently, he is a great fan of the opinion site and has been following this forum ever since it started and when this thread started, he thought that at last there was hope for the future. But he told me straight that he is terrified of even making a post here because the police have told him that if he contacts any other sex offender by any means* - including online forums - they will ask for the SOPO to be varied, he will lose all access to the Internet and they will seek to imprison him as his risk will be seen as having increased."

http://theopinionsite.org/forum/sex-offenders-register-%28notification-requirements%29/sor-legislation-fighting-fund!/msg541/#new

*contrary to Articles 18, 19, 20 and 27 of the UDoHR and Articles 9, 10, 11, and 14 of the ECoHR.

To be continued.

Nigel