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The 'Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders' has carefully considered what extra steps are needed to enhance the protection of children from sex offenders. It looked at evidence from stakeholders, current operational practice and how other countries tackle the issue.

The review sets out 20 actions to further strengthen efforts to keep children safe, these include

• pilot a new process allowing parents or guardians to, for the first time, request details of possible sex offenders in certain defined circumstances
• introduce a legal duty on the police and probation services to consider in each case whether a child sex offender's conviction should be disclosed in order to protect the child, with a presumption towards disclosure
• review the use of satellite tracking to monitor high risk sex offenders
• develop the use of drug treatment to help reduce sexual drive and subsequent offending
• pilot the use of compulsory polygraph tests to ensure child sex offenders are not reoffending
• extend the information that offenders must provide when on the Sex Offenders Register to include for example email addresses, or when they are starting a relationship with a woman who has children
• community awareness campaigns to ensure parents are aware of how child sex offenders are managed and how they can best protect their children.

Further information

A copy of the Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders' can be found on the Home Office website:

• Keeping your child safe from abuse