Police spot checks on local sex offenders

Wednesday 03 June 2015

All 54 registered sex offenders in Jersey were subject to surprise home visits by an offenders monitoring service last year.

And figures have revealed that 23 registered sex offenders from the UK who came to Jersey were all stopped and reminded that they need to “sign in” at the police station when they come to the Island, and must abide by the same restrictions that they follow in the UK when they are here in Jersey.

The statistics have been released in the annual report by the monitoring agency JMAPPA – which is made up of representatives of the police, probation, customs, prison staff and States departments including Housing, Health, and Education.

In the report, JMAPPA say that unannounced spot checks were carried out on the local sex offenders as often as once a month and at least once a year – depending on the risk they are assessed as posing to the community.

The report revealed that one local sex offender was arrested and charged for moving house without informing the police that he was doing so. Two others were prevented from leaving the Island because the terms of their restrictions state that they have to tell the police in advance if they wish to do so.

The JMAPPA service visits all registered sex offenders serving prison sentences in the run-up to their release, explaining the restrictions and how their behaviour will be monitored.

During the course of 2014, nine offenders were released at the end of their prison sentences – there are still 15 sex offenders still serving prison sentences at La Moye.