Men who sleep with 13-year-olds 'not paedophiles', says police chief

A chief constable has sparked controversy by declaring that men who sleep with 13- to 15-year-olds should not be labelled paedophiles.

Terry Grange, the Association of Chief Police Officers' (ACPO) spokesman on child protection and managing sex offenders, also says that the term "child pornography" should only apply to images of children aged 13 and under. His views are set out in an interview with The Sunday Times. Mr Grange, chief constable of Dyfed-Powys Police, adds that only those who target prepubescent children should be treated as paedophiles.

But Michele Elliott, director of Kidscape, said: "Most people would say that no adult should be having sex with a child under the age of 15, and that if they do, they are sexually attracted to children and they are a paedophile."