Mandatory aggravating factor for CSE offences
IICSA · Child Sexual Exploitation by Organised Networks Investigation Report · Issued 1 February 2022 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, C
The government should amend the Sentencing Act 2020 to provide a mandatory aggravating factor in sentencing in the case of the commission of an offence under Part 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 relating to a child, where (1) the child was exploited, (2) 'exploitation' means the child was controlled, coerced, manipulated or deceived into sexual activity and (3) two or more persons were concerned in the exploitation.
IICSA, Child Sexual Exploitation by Organised Networks Investigation Report · 1 Feb 2022 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- No published amendment to the Sentencing Act 2020 creating a mandatory aggravating factor for grooming-related child sexual offences has been enacted to March 2026.
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
In January 2025, the Home Secretary committed to legislate to make grooming an aggravating factor in the sentencing of child sexual offences. This commitment is being implemented through the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, currently at Committee Stage in the House of Lords.
UK Government · 22 May 2023 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 9 Apr 2025 April 2025 government progress update: the Crime and Policing Bill (introduced February 2025) includes a provision to make grooming a mandatory aggravating factor in sentencing of child sexual offences. Source →
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
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Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.