Abusers who seek work with young face jail

Convicted child sex offenders could be jailed for applying for jobs that involve access to youngsters. Under Home Office proposals published yesterday it could include posts such as scoutmasters and foster parents.

The initiative is part of a package of measures aimed at cracking down on rapists and child abusers. About 8,000 people a year are convicted of sexual offences.

The plans include extending DNA testing of prisoners jailed for sex crimes, greater supervision of criminals after their release, which could include the use of electronic tagging, and the creation of a national register of convicted sex offenders. Defendants' access to victims' statements and photographs would also be restricted to prevent them being used as a form of pornography.

The measures are part of a Home Office consultation paper, Sentencing and Supervision of Sex Offenders, which follows growing concern about sexual abuse - culminating in the last week's government announcement of an inquiry into children's homes. It also signals the heightened importance the Conservatives and Labour place on gaining a lead in the law and order debate.

Among the Home Office proposals are the creation of a new criminal offence of looking for a job involving access to young people aged under 18 while having a conviction for a sex crime against a child. The maximum penalty would be six months in jail and a pounds 5,000 fine.

The new offence would put the onus on criminals not to look for inappropriate employment. This could include people seeking to become foster parents and volunteers for posts such as boys' clubs leaders.

The paper also proposes extended supervision of convicted sex offenders on their release. In some cases offenders could be ordered to stay away from specific areas, such as schools, and electronic tags could be used to monitor their whereabouts.

On DNA testing there is a proposal to extend powers which allow samples to be taken from people convicted of a sex offence since April 1995 and placed on a national database. The Home Office would like to test about 3,500 serving sex offenders who were jailed | before April last year.

The paper proposes that on their release, convicted attackers would be required to notify the police of any change of address. People with old convictions could also be required to register. Police records only list the address the offender was living when convicted.

The Government believes that a more comprehensive register of sex offenders would help the police to identify possible suspects following a sex crime. Failure to register could result in a month jail sentence.

Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, said: "There needs to be better protection for the public from those who carry out sexual offences. Such crimes can have a devastating effect on the victim."

Jack Straw, Labour's home affairs spokesman, gave the announcements a guarded welcome. He criticised the Home Office for blocking Labour's proposals on sex offenders and said the proposals did little to address the difficulties in obtaining convictions.

The consultation period for the paper ends on 9 August.