someone i work with is in a relationship with an 18 year old, he is 35 and her scout leader, she looks about 12 but isn’t
Isn’t there some sort of in loco parentis thing there making that legally iffy.
* The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 introduced the new offence of “abuse of positions of trust”
* The main reason for the introduction of this legislation is the need to protect young people aged 16 and 17 who, even though they are above the age of consent, are considered vulnerable to sexual exploitation from adults who have a considerable amount of influence over their lives
* Section 21 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into force in May 2004, extended the list of positions of trust to include, among others, Connexions workers
* But under the Act professionals including youth and community workers, Scout leaders, clergymen and sports coaches cannot be prosecuted for “abuse of positions of trust”
So, to summarise, it would appear not