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Sexual offences – Sentencing children and young people

Coroners and Justice Act 2009, s.120 · Crown Court / Magistrates

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Sentencing framework

Sentencing for children and young people accused of sexual offences involves assessing the seriousness of the offence, including culpability and harm. Aggravating and mitigating factors play a crucial role in determining the appropriate sentence, which can range from a non-custodial sentence to a custodial sentence depending on the specifics of the case.

Court

Crown Court / Magistrates

Aggravating factors

  • ·Previous findings of guilt
  • ·Offence committed whilst on bail
  • ·Offence motivated by hostility based on victim's characteristics
  • ·Significant degree of planning
  • ·Child or young person acts together with others
  • ·Use of alcohol/drugs on victim
  • ·Abuse of trust
  • ·Deliberate humiliation of victim
  • ·Grooming
  • ·Significant disparity of age
  • ·Victim's particular vulnerability
  • ·Steps taken to prevent reporting
  • ·Pregnancy or STI as a consequence
  • ·Blackmail
  • ·Use of weapon

Mitigating factors

  • ·No previous findings of guilt
  • ·Good character
  • ·Participation in offence due to bullying/peer pressure
  • ·Genuine belief that activity was lawful

Sentencing range explorer

Select the culpability level and harm category to see the guideline's starting point and category range. This is an educational illustration of the published guideline — not a sentence calculation, and not legal advice. Courts apply the full step-by-step process, aggravating and mitigating factors, and the totality principle.

Culpability

Harm

Select a culpability level and a harm category above.

The sentencing process, step by step

  1. Step 1 — Offence seriousness: nature of the offence
  2. Step 2 — Offence seriousness: aggravating and mitigating factors
  3. Step 3 — Personal mitigation
  4. Step 4 — Reduction for guilty plea
  5. Step 5 — Review the sentence

Guideline notes

  • Sentencing should consider the age, maturity and developmental stage of the child or young person.

Always read the full guideline

This is a one-page summary. For any live case, sentencing exercise, or legal advice the authoritative source is the Sentencing Council's own definitive guideline — including the category bands, step-by-step sentencing approach, and all statutory factors not captured here.

Open the full guideline on sentencingcouncil.org.uk

Source: Sentencing Council · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-28. Not legal advice — see a regulated adviser for any live case.