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LONDON — The U.K. Ministry of Justice on Friday outlined new government amendments to the pending Crime and Policing Bill, indicating that a proposed ban on “step” content may apply only in cases where adult performers are portraying minors.
In a statement, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said that possession or publication of pornography depicting incest or adults pretending to be children would be criminalized. The statement aligns with amendments previously approved by the House of Lords.
The government’s wording, however, suggests a potential revision to the scope of those amendments.
The statement specifies that the ban on material depicting sexual activity between step or foster relations applies “where one person is pretending to be under 18.” The version approved by the House of Lords does not include that condition.
The change would limit the application of the amendment by removing a broader prohibition on “step” content unless it also falls under a separate provision addressing material that depicts adults portraying minors.
Ongoing Tension Over Content Restrictions
In March, the House of Lords approved amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill that would prohibit material depicting incest, including “step” content.
The government had initially opposed criminalizing content involving sexual activity between stepparents and stepsiblings. Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, a Conservative member of the House of Lords who served as the independent lead reviewer on a U.K. pornography review, advocated for extending the prohibition to include “step” content. The House of Lords approved that change.
The government also opposed an amendment targeting content in which adult performers appear to portray minors, citing concerns about allocating police resources. The House of Lords approved that provision.
Under the Lords’ version, factors such as costume and setting could be considered in determining whether an adult performer is portraying a minor, without requiring explicit reference to age. It remains unclear whether the government will seek to revise that language.
If the Crime and Policing Bill is enacted with the proposed government amendments, publication of pornography depicting incest or adults role-playing as children would be subject to penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment. Possession of pornography depicting adults role-playing as children would carry a maximum sentence of three years, while possession of pornography depicting incest would carry a maximum sentence of two years.
The government’s statement did not address a separate amendment approved by the House of Lords that would allow individuals appearing in adult content to withdraw consent at any time. The government has previously described that proposal as impractical, stating it involves a commercial matter between performers and production companies. The final text of the amendments has not yet been released.
The statement said, “Further details on the amendments will be set out in due course.”
The bill is scheduled to return to the House of Commons on Tuesday for consideration of the new amendments, where further changes may be introduced.
