Section 15 — Meeting a Child Following Grooming
Under section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, it is an offence for a person aged 18 or over, having met or communicated with a child on at least one prior occasion, to travel to meet that child — or arrange for the child to travel — with the intention of committing a sexual offence. The offence is committed whether or not the meeting actually takes place. A single previous contact, including a message sent online, is sufficient to establish the necessary prior connection.
Section 14 — Arranging or Facilitating a Child Sex Offence
Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 makes it an offence to intentionally arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence. The offence is complete even if the intended abuse is never carried out. Critically, it applies even where the person the defendant was communicating with was an adult posing as a child — whether a police officer or a member of a vigilante group.
Joint Enterprise in Grooming Cases
Grooming prosecutions frequently involve multiple defendants alleged to have operated as a group. Following R v Jogee [2016], the prosecution must prove that each defendant intended to assist or encourage the specific acts committed — not merely that they were present or associated with those involved. The distinction between active participation and peripheral involvement is often the central issue in multi-defendant grooming trials.
Digital Evidence and Communication Records
The vast majority of grooming prosecutions depend on electronic communications obtained from mobile devices, social media platforms, and cloud services. The full history of communications between the parties — including messages that may show the character and context of the relationship — is relevant to the defence. Where prosecutions are built on selected excerpts, challenging the completeness of disclosure and presenting the full evidential context can be significant. Independent digital forensic examination of devices and accounts can identify material the prosecution has not relied upon.
| Offence | Maximum Sentence |
|---|---|
| s.15 — Meeting a child following grooming | 10 years |
| s.14 — Arranging or facilitating a child sex offence | 14 years |
| s.15A — Sexual communication with a child | 2 years |
| s.5 — Rape of a child under 13 | Life imprisonment |
| s.7 — Sexual assault of a child under 13 | 14 years |
What to Do if You Are Under Investigation
If you have been arrested, had devices seized, or are asked to attend a voluntary interview in connection with a grooming investigation, seek specialist legal advice immediately. Do not speak to investigators without a solicitor present. The pre-charge stage — before any decision to charge is made — is the most important point at which legal intervention can influence the outcome.