If an adult in your life has been arrested for their sexual behaviour, this means that the police are investigating whether they have committed a crime. The police will usually take away any devices (phones, tablets, computers) in the person’s home to examine them. This may include devices that belong to other people they live with.
The police may want to take them to the police station for an interview, to help them decide the next steps. They might put restrictions (called bail conditions) on what the adult can do during the investigation. These restrictions will depend on what the police are investigating, but could include:
- Restricted or supervised contact with anyone under the age of 18
- Rules about where the person can live
- Rules about who they can contact
This means that they may have to make some changes to where they’re living whilst the investigation takes place. The bail conditions may also impact whether you can see them, and your contact may need to be supervised by a safe adult.
The investigation may take a long time, especially if devices are being checked. Once the investigation is finished, there are lots of different outcomes the police could decide on. This depends on the concern they are investigating and the evidence.
The police could decide not to take any more action if they:
- decide no crime has been committed
- don’t have enough evidence
- don’t think it’s in the public interest to charge them
In these cases, the police will end their investigation, and the bail conditions will end.
If the adult is charged, there are lots of different possible outcomes, depending on the crime. Their solicitor is there to support them. If you have any questions about what might happen next, it is really important that you talk to an adult you trust.