Where an offence of sexual intercourse with a child is objectively serious by reason of the child's age, a mistaken belief as to the child's age cannot of itself deprive the offence of its serious character. The scope for s 10 orders decreases for objectively serious offences where general deterrence and denunciation are important. Registration requirements under the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 will not ordinarily constitute extra-curial punishment warranting mitigation unless the offender was engaged or qualified to be engaged in an occupation giving access to children.
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