Revenge porn is now a crime. In a recent case, which set a precedent, a woman whose nude photograph was uploaded to the internet by her ex-boyfriend was entitled to almost £100,000 in damages (compensation) because of the mental anguish caused. The same amount may be claimed by a victim of rape. The newly created Sexual Risk Order can be applied for by a single police officer, even before you have been charged with any offence. Unless opposed, this will be ‘rubber stamped’ by the Magistrates’ Court and thereafter all your internet usage, search history, sites visited, phone calls made and received, etc, will be monitored by the police, and your devices can be inspected by the police at any time. Failing to keep a phone number or a record of a website visited can result in you going to prison. Finally, what is the most rewarding part of being a criminal lawyer specialising in defending sexual offence allegations and is there a particular case that stands out for you? The most rewarding part of my work is defending a client against a false allegation and winning! A few years ago I represented a young man who had been charged with 7 counts of rape. Everything about the case indicated to me that the complaint was false, and my client was completely innocent. It took 2.5 years from the date she complained to the police until the trial. After a trial lasting 5 days, it took 20 minutes for the jury to find him not guilty of all charges. We later found out that the woman concerned had made previous false complaints, had admitted to her psychiatrist that she made up stories and had previously complained of rape against another man - who had also been prosecuted and found not guilty. Despite being acquitted on all charges, this young man’s life has changed forever. He now suffers PTSD as a result of 2.5 years of investigation, accusations and a five day trial. He now finds it difficult to WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM 23 trust females and cannot go out - for fear that someone will accuse him again. The law says he is not entitled to any compensation. There are, no doubt, many women who are genuine victims of sexual abuse and who, quite rightly, want to be dealt with fairly by the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, their cause for fair treatment is being diluted by the ever-increasing number of false complaints. www.pcdsolicitors.co.uk
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