Judge attacks porn websites after rapist, 14, hooked on online sex sites attacks a four-year-old girl
A judge yesterday condemned online porn after a 14-year-old boy who was ‘obsessed’ with sex websites raped a four-year-old girl.
The boy was given free rein by his parents to watch graphic material on hi-tech gadgets such as his Xbox console and iPod.
But in an unusual move, Lord Burns directly linked the teenager’s exposure to porn to the sex attack.
He also criticised the boy’s parents who, even after the offence, allowed their son to carry on accessing the internet with virtually no form of restriction.
The case comes amid the Daily Mail’s on-going Block Online Porn campaign to protect children from graphic images.
Scotland’s top sex crimes prosecutor, Alison Di Rollo, has recently warned that online filth is fuelling a rise in sex offending by children.
The 14-year-old, who was spared a custodial sentence, forced the girl to perform a sex act on him at his home during the school holidays.
She later told the boy’s mother, a childminder, what had happened. The youth initially denied the accusations but confessed after DNA evidence came to light. He eventually admitted raping the child.
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At a hearing earlier this year, the Lanarkshire teenager admitted the offence, which happened last August.
He was referred to the Children’s Reporter and his behaviour will be monitored under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements set up to deal with sex offenders.
Campaign: The Daily Mail has called for internet service providers to block online porn unless users 'opt in'
His name has already been added to the sex offenders’ register and he will be subject to random checks by social workers and police for any devices capable of online access.
Frank Gallagher, defending, said the accused’s parents had tried but failed to put a parental lock on their internet account.
They had handed back their son’s Xbox, iPod and mobile phone ‘on trust’ after the offence.
He said: ‘His bedroom door wasn’t to be closed and they frequently visited his room to make sure he wasn’t accessing pornography. But he breached his parents’ trust.’
Unrestricted: The boy, 14, has free rein to watch online porn (picture posed by model)
Passing sentence at the High Court in Livingston, West Lothian, judge Lord Burns criticised the parents, who wept during the hearing.
He told the boy: ‘The whole circumstances, I have to say, don’t reflect well upon your parents and I have no doubt that they are aware of the element of responsibility that they must take for this shameful event.’
Describing his offence as ‘highly serious’, he went on: ‘You are a young boy but you became obsessed with pornography through the internet and were able to access that freely. The result of that obsession, it appears, caused you to commit this crime.’
Last night, Tory chief whip John Lamont said: ‘Parents will be worried that this child will only be subjected to random checks. Something far more robust is needed to ensure his behaviour does not escalate as he gets older.’
Earlier this year, Mrs Di Rollo warned that the availability of sexual imagery ‘must have some effect on the attitudes’ of young people.
Anne Houston, of the CHILDREN 1ST charity, said: ‘Online pornography can give young people a skewed idea of sex and relationships. Sadly, in this case, it appears to have been one contributory factor.’