Our thanks to Ian for this. Key extracts:
A man who must give police 24 hours’ notice before he has sex after he was cleared of rape has said the ruling “puts an end to your life”.
The man, in his 40s, was acquitted last year at a retrial.
He has been charged with breaching the terms of the order by refusing to give police the pin to his phone.
He accused North Yorkshire Police, which declined to comment, of “sour grapes” in applying for a sexual risk order after the case.
The order requires him to disclose any planned sexual activity to the police or face up to five years in prison…
Sexual risk orders were introduced in England and Wales last year and can be applied to any individual who the police believe poses a risk of sexual harm – even if they have never been convicted of a crime. [my emphasis]
They are civil orders imposed by magistrates at the request of police.
The man, who said the complainant had consented to sex, was cleared of rape after being held on remand for 14 months…
Speaking after an adjourned hearing at York Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, he said the order had devastated his personal life and “contravened his human rights”.
“I had more freedom in prison,” he said. “I’m in a state of shock, I cannot believe this is how the justice system works.”
He said there was “no prospect” of a relationship at the moment.
He said: “Can you imagine, 24 hours before sex? Come on.
He gave the example of chatting to a woman and saying: “There’s a nice French restaurant I’d like to take you to, but first the police are just going to come around for a little chat.”
“Knock, knock, knock, this is the police, (Mr X) is subject to a sexual risk order and is considered to be potentially dangerous… then they leave.”
The order was extended in January for four months by York magistrates after it was initially imposed in December in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.
It declares the man “must disclose the details of any female including her name, address and date of birth… at least 24 hours prior to any sexual activity taking place”.
It also contains restrictions on his use of the internet and mobile phones and requires him to inform officers of any change of address.
