UK to expunge 'child prostitution' convictions
Victims of child sexual exploitation who were treated as offenders will finally see old records wiped. On 4 November 2025, the government tabled amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill so that ‘child prostitution’ convictions and cautions from before 2015 will be pardoned and disregarded. We explain what changes, who is covered, and what happens next.
Why this matters: for many children, police or courts recorded offences that were the result of grooming, coercion or fear. Those same children then carried a criminal record into adult life while many perpetrators avoided justice. Removing these records aims to end that lasting stigma and unlock work, education and housing that routine checks can otherwise block.
Quick definitions, in plain English. A disregard removes a qualifying offence from criminal records certificates so it should no longer show up on checks. Alongside that, the amendments deliver a pardon for the same offences-a formal recognition by the state that you should not have been treated as an offender. Crucially, both disregard and pardon will be automatic under the new provisions; you do not need to apply.
Who is covered: you were under 18 at the time; you received either a conviction or a police caution; and the offence was loitering or soliciting in a street or public place under section 1 of the Street Offences Act 1959. The law was changed in 2015 so that this offence no longer applied to under‑18s; today’s reform cleans the historic records that pre‑date that change.
How and when it takes effect: these measures sit inside the Crime and Policing Bill. Once Parliament passes the Bill and it receives Royal Assent, the Home Office will commence the provisions and the process will run automatically. Ministers say they expect hundreds of people to benefit from the scheme.
A note on where this applies. The loitering/soliciting offence comes from the Street Offences Act 1959, which is an England and Wales law. That is why the amendments refer specifically to section 1 of that Act when setting who is eligible.
Why now: in June 2025, Baroness Casey’s national audit on group‑based child sexual exploitation urged government and agencies to ‘see children as children’ and clear unjust records. Ministers accepted all 12 recommendations and committed to act-this change is part of that response.
What it means for survivors. If this applies to you, you will not need to do anything for your conviction or caution to be disregarded and pardoned once the law is in force. Survivor groups, including the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), have welcomed the move as overdue recognition and validation.
Language matters, too. In 2015 Parliament removed the phrases ‘child prostitution’ and ‘child pornography’ from the Sexual Offences Act and recognised these crimes as child sexual exploitation. It also ensured the loitering/soliciting offence could only apply to adults, not children. Today’s reform brings criminal records into line with that legal shift.
One practical note before we finish: the scheme is targeted at the Street Offences Act section 1 offence only. It does not automatically cancel other offences that might be on the same record. If your case is complicated, a regulated legal adviser or a specialist charity can help you interpret the change once commencement is confirmed.