Sex Offender and becoming a pilot?
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Same thing happened to someone I worked with years ago (non aviation role)
He was 17, she was 16 in a happy relationship and they exchanged a few nude pictures.
Fast forward 5 years and having both gone their separate ways. He sent his laptop in to be fixed and they saw these nudes of a young girl and reported it to the police.
The police paid him a visit and he was open and honest. The police then contacted his ex who admitted she’d sent them off her own back and that they were from 5 years ago etc.
The CPS prosecuted him anyway and he ended up with a suspended sentence and a period on the register.
Someone from probation/ police would visit him every year for a chat which basically turned into a cup of tea and a chat about life because the officer knew it was a ridiculous conviction.
Hope it’s all gets sorted
He was 17, she was 16 in a happy relationship and they exchanged a few nude pictures.
Fast forward 5 years and having both gone their separate ways. He sent his laptop in to be fixed and they saw these nudes of a young girl and reported it to the police.
The police paid him a visit and he was open and honest. The police then contacted his ex who admitted she’d sent them off her own back and that they were from 5 years ago etc.
The CPS prosecuted him anyway and he ended up with a suspended sentence and a period on the register.
Someone from probation/ police would visit him every year for a chat which basically turned into a cup of tea and a chat about life because the officer knew it was a ridiculous conviction.
Hope it’s all gets sorted
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Thank you for sharing. Hopefully this story proves to the naysayers on here that these type of convictions can and do happen. The CPS are ruthless and care nothing for whether it was consensual, whether there was a relationship or abuse etc.
I hope that your friend is managing to do alright now, and has managed to find employment. It's extremely hard with a sexual offence history and a permanent criminal record. These kind of things are always revealed on a DBS.
I hope that your friend is managing to do alright now, and has managed to find employment. It's extremely hard with a sexual offence history and a permanent criminal record. These kind of things are always revealed on a DBS.
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Firstly, I want to say, you are, and potentially always will be, an absolutely colossal prat.
Why on earth would you goto the bloody police? Just delete the message, move on.
Anyway, as has been said here, you need to fight this, or see what your actual position is. Assuming what you’ve said is the absolute truth, you’ve done nothing wrong. Speak to a lawyer, find out everything.
With regards to job prospects. Each aviation authority is different, many don’t even do criminal record and background checks (China comes to mind). I never had one anyway as far as I remember. UK CAA 100% needs a 5 year check. But obviously, if a carrier then flies to the US you’ll need a visa, etc etc
Personally, I would NOT go the ‘honesty is the best policy’ route. In fact I think that’s a stupid idea. Like when you go for your Class 1 medical.
Do NOT contact a journalist and in any way be named or go ‘public’.
Whilst it’s a different case entirely, I remember a story, a few years ago a guy I was a flight instructor with, he went out on 1 date with a girl, then proceeded to stalk her for the next 3 weeks saying he loved her, texted her and called her everyday, eventually he said to her ‘if you don’t see me I’m going to crash a plane into your house!’ She called the police, he was sent to a mental ward and it was all over the local papers.
As far as I am aware, he took some good lawyers, fought the case and got charges dropped. And now still has a job in aviation.
You have unfortunately incriminated yourself and the police love an easy case. But, I think it’s worth fighting.
And, for what it’s worth, again, assuming everything you’ve said is true. I do not think you’ve done anything wrong and should be allowed to pursue a job in aviation.
Why on earth would you goto the bloody police? Just delete the message, move on.
Anyway, as has been said here, you need to fight this, or see what your actual position is. Assuming what you’ve said is the absolute truth, you’ve done nothing wrong. Speak to a lawyer, find out everything.
With regards to job prospects. Each aviation authority is different, many don’t even do criminal record and background checks (China comes to mind). I never had one anyway as far as I remember. UK CAA 100% needs a 5 year check. But obviously, if a carrier then flies to the US you’ll need a visa, etc etc
Personally, I would NOT go the ‘honesty is the best policy’ route. In fact I think that’s a stupid idea. Like when you go for your Class 1 medical.
Do NOT contact a journalist and in any way be named or go ‘public’.
Whilst it’s a different case entirely, I remember a story, a few years ago a guy I was a flight instructor with, he went out on 1 date with a girl, then proceeded to stalk her for the next 3 weeks saying he loved her, texted her and called her everyday, eventually he said to her ‘if you don’t see me I’m going to crash a plane into your house!’ She called the police, he was sent to a mental ward and it was all over the local papers.
As far as I am aware, he took some good lawyers, fought the case and got charges dropped. And now still has a job in aviation.
You have unfortunately incriminated yourself and the police love an easy case. But, I think it’s worth fighting.
And, for what it’s worth, again, assuming everything you’ve said is true. I do not think you’ve done anything wrong and should be allowed to pursue a job in aviation.
Seems to me like you are perhaps on the wrong side of woke individuals within the police/CPS. You need to fight this - at the end of the day it was a bikini pic - a quick search on Google would probably yield thousands of similar images. Yes, I get that the context was sexual, but if you didn't initiate or pressure her into sending the photo, then you are merely guilty of being a young, red-blooded male. And the blackmail, if you have any proof of that, is really going to help your case.
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DDobinpilot
I can agree with your first sentiment, however I was under the false impression that the police are there to protect people from things such as blackmail.
You are right in saying that they love an easy case, this one looks great on their records, a successful conviction.
Ultimately it looks like my hands are tied. If I please not guilty I could recieve a much heavier sentence.
I wonder how commercial flight schools would feel about me applying for a job. I can say with certainty that I have never hurt anyone. I have no other criminal record and have a good reputation within aviation (this aside).
Would I need an airside pass and DBS to become a flight instructor for a commercial school? Am I just wasting my time and trying to push into an industry that just won't accept anyone with a criminal record?
Would love to hear from anyone who has experience working with adult commercial students and whether or not this would be disqualifying.
I can agree with your first sentiment, however I was under the false impression that the police are there to protect people from things such as blackmail.
You are right in saying that they love an easy case, this one looks great on their records, a successful conviction.
Ultimately it looks like my hands are tied. If I please not guilty I could recieve a much heavier sentence.
I wonder how commercial flight schools would feel about me applying for a job. I can say with certainty that I have never hurt anyone. I have no other criminal record and have a good reputation within aviation (this aside).
Would I need an airside pass and DBS to become a flight instructor for a commercial school? Am I just wasting my time and trying to push into an industry that just won't accept anyone with a criminal record?
Would love to hear from anyone who has experience working with adult commercial students and whether or not this would be disqualifying.
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It’s a thousands times worse than a criminal record. It’s the sex offenders register. Flight school wouldn’t touch you. All those young impressionable adults and in some cases under 18’s.
Again, and I hate to beat a dead horse but… this doesn’t make sense. Every post you sound like you have given up for something that almost everyone on here has said is an issue that any half assed lawyer could get you out of. There is so much more to this than you are saying, that makes you so downbeat.
Again, and I hate to beat a dead horse but… this doesn’t make sense. Every post you sound like you have given up for something that almost everyone on here has said is an issue that any half assed lawyer could get you out of. There is so much more to this than you are saying, that makes you so downbeat.
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Thank you for at least being honest with me. I have a lawyer, and the CPS' evidence is watertight. I recieved the image, it remained within a cache. Legally, that is posession. There's not anything a lawyer can do aside from try and mitigate for a lighter sentence and less time on the register.
At least I know what im facing now, and that I will be unable to attend flight school. I need to be realistic about the fact that I won't even be able to go to flight school, let alone get a job.
As for you still believing that I must have done something far more substantial, I urge you to read on of the posts above. Almost exactly the same situation, and they too were convicted and placed on the sex offenders register. It can and does happen, and it is happening to me.
At least I can try and plan to get another job.
At least I know what im facing now, and that I will be unable to attend flight school. I need to be realistic about the fact that I won't even be able to go to flight school, let alone get a job.
As for you still believing that I must have done something far more substantial, I urge you to read on of the posts above. Almost exactly the same situation, and they too were convicted and placed on the sex offenders register. It can and does happen, and it is happening to me.
At least I can try and plan to get another job.
Additionally WHEN was the image deleted. I'm guessing fairly recently as a mobile only has finite memory space so can not store everything that one ever viewed.
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The image itself stayed stored within the chat for less than 24 hours. I kind of just went "ok" and carried on talking, as I didn't know that it was an illegal image (as I previously said I believed that the age of sexual activity was 16 in the UK). I couldn't delete the image as it wasn't stored on my device and the only way to delete it would have been to wipe my phone, which I didn't do because as I said I didn't know that the image was illegal in any way.
As others have said this makes me guilty and I'm not arguing this, all I can say is that it was a genuine mistake and that I did not intentionally or knowingly break the law. This, however, is no defence in the eyes of the law as the defence is only valid if a person is sent the image with no prior request (true) and deletes the image immediately (false).
As others have said this makes me guilty and I'm not arguing this, all I can say is that it was a genuine mistake and that I did not intentionally or knowingly break the law. This, however, is no defence in the eyes of the law as the defence is only valid if a person is sent the image with no prior request (true) and deletes the image immediately (false).
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Why would an “Engineering Graduate” be resigned to looking for “lower paid, unskilled work” because he couldn’t become a pilot?
This is either a load of BS or is a massive insult to educated engineers.
I trained for 4 years as an engineer. My flight training took 18 months. Lower skilled it is not. And my first pay scale as an engineering professional was over twice that of my first commercial pilot pay.
This is either a load of BS or is a massive insult to educated engineers.
I trained for 4 years as an engineer. My flight training took 18 months. Lower skilled it is not. And my first pay scale as an engineering professional was over twice that of my first commercial pilot pay.
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Sorry. But here is where we disagree. And any lawyer would get you off in seconds if true. You say you were having a conversation. She sent you an unsolicited text (this would be very easy to prove as all text messages are saved by the network provider) you deletes it (but it was saved in your cache. Who cares.. it was deleted 99% of the population wouldn’t be able to do anything else).
Possession isn’t the only factor. There has to be intent. Otherwise if there is someone I don’t like I can just do a 2 second google search and send them a photo and bingo! They are banged up. Sorry the justice system doesn’t work like that or at any time half the population would be in jail.
Sorry. But here is where we disagree. And any lawyer would get you off in seconds if true. You say you were having a conversation. She sent you an unsolicited text (this would be very easy to prove as all text messages are saved by the network provider) you deletes it (but it was saved in your cache. Who cares.. it was deleted 99% of the population wouldn’t be able to do anything else).
Possession isn’t the only factor. There has to be intent. Otherwise if there is someone I don’t like I can just do a 2 second google search and send them a photo and bingo! They are banged up. Sorry the justice system doesn’t work like that or at any time half the population would be in jail.
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Possession is not a crime that requires intent. It is also categorised as "making" (eg an image being displayed on a screen). If you, as an adult, sent an illegal image you would be prosecuted more harshly that the person who recieved it. The person who sent the image to me is legally a child- who cannot be tried as an an adult and is therefore immune to prosecuted (read the CPS guidance about how they will avoid prosecuting the sender if they are under 18 and will give them words of advice).
As I previously said, the image remained in the chat for less than 24 hours. I could not delete the image without wiping messages and/or the entire phone. At the time as I said i was not aware that the law considered a child to be under 18, as I believed that 16 was the age of sexual activity due to it being the age of sexual consent (eg you can physically take part in the act but not any images that are indicative).
I've begged, pleased, cried, with the police, they don't care- possession is possession in their eyes and as one of the officers said in my interview "even if you tried to be smart and find a way out, you will never pass a background check as we will disclose this to employers even if you manage to get out of conviction".
My energy is better spent at this point trying to limit damage, ensure that I can get some sort of job and maybe attain a PPL when I retire.
Does a PPL require a background check?
As I previously said, the image remained in the chat for less than 24 hours. I could not delete the image without wiping messages and/or the entire phone. At the time as I said i was not aware that the law considered a child to be under 18, as I believed that 16 was the age of sexual activity due to it being the age of sexual consent (eg you can physically take part in the act but not any images that are indicative).
I've begged, pleased, cried, with the police, they don't care- possession is possession in their eyes and as one of the officers said in my interview "even if you tried to be smart and find a way out, you will never pass a background check as we will disclose this to employers even if you manage to get out of conviction".
My energy is better spent at this point trying to limit damage, ensure that I can get some sort of job and maybe attain a PPL when I retire.
Does a PPL require a background check?
I get that images - even once deleted - are stored in some form on the device, but surely the mobile service provider can dig out the text thread, and the context in which you received the image (unsolicited) should show your innocence in the matter?
*Aren't all text messages retrievable from the service provider? Admittedly it will take a fair bit of digging and requests.
*Maybe could be the result of watching too many CSI type programs. . . .
*Aren't all text messages retrievable from the service provider? Admittedly it will take a fair bit of digging and requests.
*Maybe could be the result of watching too many CSI type programs. . . .
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidanc...mages-children
you can’t control the quality of the police or prosecutions staff you get. So you must get a better lawyer
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Dunno if it helps any, but after the Magistrate's Rules....
The general rule for time bars on summary only offences is that prosecutions will be time barred if Informations are laid more than six months after the date of the offence1. The Magistrates Court Act (MCA) allows for different time limits to apply where they are explicitly provided for in statutes
The general rule for time bars on summary only offences is that prosecutions will be time barred if Informations are laid more than six months after the date of the offence1. The Magistrates Court Act (MCA) allows for different time limits to apply where they are explicitly provided for in statutes
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If you have any sense forget about flight training and spend every penny on a the best lawyer that you can afford, you'll regret not fighting this otherwise.
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Agreed, goto a proper barrister and get a second legal opinion.
Even from the thread title you are defeated already.
I fail to see how their case is ‘watertight’ if you never requested her to send this image. And, honestly, I would never plead guilty to saying ‘I’m a sex offender’.
Also, honestly, from what I’ve read, I think a sex offence is generally unfiltered, and from what I gather that means even after the time period it will remain on a DBS check, I could be wrong on that, but if that is the case, you are screwed either way so you might aswell go down fighting.
I couldn’t actually believe this is the actual law, I read that if two 17 year olds are texting each other and send a naked photo they could be arrested for this, despite the fact they can legally have sex.
Even from the thread title you are defeated already.
I fail to see how their case is ‘watertight’ if you never requested her to send this image. And, honestly, I would never plead guilty to saying ‘I’m a sex offender’.
Also, honestly, from what I’ve read, I think a sex offence is generally unfiltered, and from what I gather that means even after the time period it will remain on a DBS check, I could be wrong on that, but if that is the case, you are screwed either way so you might aswell go down fighting.
I couldn’t actually believe this is the actual law, I read that if two 17 year olds are texting each other and send a naked photo they could be arrested for this, despite the fact they can legally have sex.