Grooming in Guernsey due to become a criminal offence

Grooming is not currently a criminal offence in Guernsey

Grooming will become a criminal offence in Guernsey next year, once new legislation is approved by the States of Guernsey and the Privy Council.

The States first agreed to develop the legislation, which will update current sex offence laws, in 2011.

Guernsey's Chief of Police Patrick Rice said the new law would help "protect the public".

The Home Department confirmed that plans were already in place, following demands on social media for a new law.

It is a crime in the UK to try to meet a child with the intention of abusing them after seeking to win their trust.

The chief officer of the Home Department, Mark De Garis, said: "The Department is now focusing on concluding the development of new sexual offences legislation which it seeks to bring back to the States for approval in 2016."

Mr Garis said that while grooming was not currently an offence in Guernsey, all allegations of grooming should be reported to police.

A sex offenders' register was introduced in Guernsey in July.

Grooming became an offence in the UK under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and was designed to combat paedophiles' increasing use of the internet to approach children.

Update 11 November 2015: This story has been amended following updated information supplied by Guernsey Law Enforcement about the timescale of the draft legislation.