2022/24933 - importation of child-sized 'sex' dolls and downloaded child abuse images
REQUEST
Please can you tell me if your force:
1) Collects statistics on those who have been caught importing child-sized ‘sex dolls’ into the country? If so, please send me a breakdown of these statistics by sex, or failing that, by gender.
2) If you force collects statistics on those who have been caught importing child-sized ‘sex dolls’ into the country and have also been found to have child abuse images on their computer devices? If so, please can you send me a breakdown of these statistics by sex, or failing that, by gender.
3) If your force always checks the computer devices for downloads of child abuse images in the event that a person has been caught importing child-sized ‘sex dolls’?
4) In the event that your force does not check computer devices, please can you provide the rationale for not doing so?
RESPONSE
1) Collects statistics on those who have been caught importing child-sized ‘sex dolls’ into the country? If so, please send me a breakdown of these statistics by sex, or failing that, by gender.
There was 1 offence recorded between 2017 and 2022 with the following offence title, where the offence involved the importation of a child-sized sex doll:
FRAUDULENT EVASION OF DUTY ETC. (CUSTOMS & EXCISE MANAGEMENT ACT 1979)
This information is based off recorded date.
Due to the low number of offences identified in question 1, to provide further information would help identify the persons involved. Therefore, this information cannot be provided.
Section 40(5) – Personal Information
The exemption applicable to the information you have requested for this question can be found at Section 40(5) – Personal Information, of the Act and this refusal notice is issued under Section 17.
Disclosure under Freedom of Information is a release of information to the world in general and not an individual applicant. Therefore, simply confirming or not that such information were held would disclose personal information about individuals.
As such, any disclosure that identifies an individual or identifies that an individual has had contact with Gwent Police or not is exempt. Personal data is defined under Section 10 of the Data Protection Act 2018 as:
Data which relate to a living individual who can be identified-
(a) from those data, or
(b) from those data and other information, which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller, and includes any expression of opinion about the individual and any indication of the intentions of the data controller or any other person in respect of the individual. “
In accordance with the Act, this represents a Refusal Notice for this part of your request. No inference can be taken from this refusal that the information you have requested does or does not exist.
Under Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we have a duty to assist you where possible. Therefore, to establish if personal data is being processed by Gwent Police, individuals are required to make application under section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998, by means of submitting a completed Data Protection Subject Access form.
2) If your force collects statistics on those who have been caught importing child-sized ‘sex dolls’ into the country and have also been found to have child abuse images on their computer devices? If so, please can you send me a breakdown of these statistics by sex, or failing that, by gender.
Due to the low number of offences identified in question 1, to provide further information would help identify the persons involved. Therefore, this information cannot be provided.
Section 40(5) – Personal Information
The exemption applicable to the information you have requested for this question can be found at Section 40(5) – Personal Information, of the Act and this refusal notice is issued under Section 17.
Disclosure under Freedom of Information is a release of information to the world in general and not an individual applicant. Therefore, simply confirming or not that such information were held would disclose personal information about individuals.
As such, any disclosure that identifies an individual or identifies that an individual has had contact with Gwent Police or not is exempt. Personal data is defined under Section 10 of the Data Protection Act 2018 as:
Data which relate to a living individual who can be identified-
(a) from those data, or
(b) from those data and other information, which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller, and includes any expression of opinion about the individual and any indication of the intentions of the data controller or any other person in respect of the individual. “
In accordance with the Act, this represents a Refusal Notice for this part of your request. No inference can be taken from this refusal that the information you have requested does or does not exist.
Under Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we have a duty to assist you where possible. Therefore, to establish if personal data is being processed by Gwent Police, individuals are required to make application under section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998, by means of submitting a completed Data Protection Subject Access form.
3) If your force always checks the computer devices for downloads of child abuse images in the event that a person has been caught importing child-sized ‘sex dolls’?
Information is defined in section 84 of the Act as "information recorded in any form".
The Act, therefore, only extends to requests for recorded information. It does not require public authorities to answer questions generally; only if they already hold the answers in recorded form.
The Act does not extend to requests for information about policies or their implementation, or the merits or demerits of any proposal or action-unless, of course, the answer to any such request is already held in recorded form"(Day vs ICO &DWP-ea/2006/0069 Final Decision)
4) In the event that your force does not check computer devices, please can you provide the rationale for not doing so?
Information is defined in section 84 of the Act as "information recorded in any form".
The Act, therefore, only extends to requests for recorded information. It does not require public authorities to answer questions generally; only if they already hold the answers in recorded form.
The Act does not extend to requests for information about policies or their implementation, or the merits or demerits of any proposal or action-unless, of course, the answer to any such request is already held in recorded form"(Day vs ICO &DWP-ea/2006/0069 Final Decision)