§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he is taking to track convicted child sex abusers who, on release from prison on licence, have immediately disappeared; [18355]
(2) what steps he is taking to track convicted child sex abusers who change their names. [18343]
§ Mr. MacleanThe Sex Offenders Bill places an obligation on those convicted or cautioned for paedophile and other serious sex offences to notify changes of name464W and address to the police. Failure to do so, in the circumstances laid down by the Bill, will be a criminal offence.
The police have devoted substantial efforts to managing the risks posed by paedophiles, in co-operation with other agencies, and have developed strategies to monitor the movements of paedophiles who try to escape from view. If a prisoner released on licence fails to keep contact with his probation officer in accordance with the terms of his licence, he may, depending on the circumstances, be recalled to prison.