A new piece of legislation introduced by this government aims to protect children from adult sexual predators.

The Protecting Children from Sexual Predators Act introduces tougher laws to make our streets and communities safer by imposing mandatory prison sentences for seven existing Criminal Code offenses, including luring a child, sexual assault and aggravated assault. This would eliminate the use of conditional sentences such as house arrest for all of these offenses.

The bill will also increase mandatory prison sentences for seven offenses involving child victims under the age of 16 such as possessing and accessing child pornography and sexual exploitation.

The mandatory prison sentence for the indictable offense of a parent or guardian permitting or procuring sex with their 16- or 17-year-old child would be doubled from 45 to 90 days, while the maximum penalty for this offense would remain at two years imprisonment.

In addition to imposing stricter penalties upon those who commit crimes of a sexual nature against children, this legislation will seek to prevent the sexual exploitation of children by creating two new offenses with mandatory prison sentences.

It will now be illegal to engage in a process known as “grooming,” which involves providing sexually explicit material to a child for the purpose of facilitating the commission of a sexual offense against a child. Summary convictions would mean a mandatory prison sentence of 30 days with a maximum of six months, while those proceeded on indictment would serve between six months and two years.

Those found to be using telecommunications, including the Internet, to communicate with another person to agree or make arrangements to commit a sexual offense against a child will also be subjected to mandatory prison sentences. This offense will be punishable by 90 days to 18 months imprisonment for summary convictions and a minimum of one year with a maximum of ten years in prison for indictments.

This new legislation will help to protect our children by ensuring penalties imposed for sexual offenses against children reflect the extremely serious nature of these acts and are consistent with each other, and by preventing child sex offenders from engaging in conduct that could facilitate their sexual offending or re-offending.

Sexual exploitation of children is one of the most serious crimes one can commit, and this government is dedicated to protecting our children and ensuring those who take advantage of them are forced to pay the consequences.

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