Mmmmm.

'The laws are so rigid and so out of step that no wonder nearly everyone nowadays is a sex offender.'

there's a really simple answer to this problem Move the goalposts.

This from Richard in Bangkok.

Never been to Bangkok, but has a certain reputation I understand.

Nigel Graham-Miller, Valencia, Spain

The trouble could be that there are too many people registered as sex offenders who are not in reality a danger to the public.
I understand that many people who have child abuse allegations made against them. Particularly in the so called 'Operation Ore Trawl' and the like, felt it would be better to accept a caution and be entered onto the sex offenders register rather than suffering the stigma of taking their case to court.
That would mean that people, who could be inocent, but have never taken their case to trial, could be registered as sex offenders!
Maybe it would be a good idea for an independent body to examine who is on the sex offenders register and sort out just who is a real danger to the public.
I suspect that a trawl through the names and an examination of 'the cases' on the sex offenders lists could lead to the discovery that there are many less people, entered on this list
who are a danger to the public and many less people who in fact need to be monitored.

Darnthesafetynet, London , W11 1NR

As one who has been consistently refused cooperation from the British government to have British teachers to children in South Korea vetted prior to employment as they are in the UK, I am of the opinion that there is a clear lack of will within this very liberal government to deal with this, and other forms of crime.

Several weeks ago we were able to read of the British government's criticism of the Chinese for allowing children to be employed to make souvenirs for the Olympic Games. On the same day we were also able to read of the 8000 sex offenders "not charged" in the UK over the past 5 years including rapists of children. I wonder where I would rather my son to be!

There needs to be a very major change in approach.

Anthony Hegarty, Seoul, South Korea

Thousands of those on the sex offenders register are there for doing what would not even register as an offence in Europe, The US, and most of the rest of the world. Its the old "no sex, please, we're British," syndrome again.

No wonder the numbers are "rising fast."

European countries do not have a sex offenders register because of the echoes of Nazism.

Winston Smith, Barcelona, Spain

Every society gets the problems it deserves.

G. Huebenett , Leidersbach , Germany

29,973 on the sex offenders register is a substantial number. As these people come from all walks of life and income brackets. It is possible that at some time in the future, a barrister will stand up in court and claim that the Human Rights of his paedophile client are being breached and his client demands the right to practice his sexual desires as other minority groups do.

But that will never happen will it? Or will it?

Paedophiles will eventually loose the demonic stigmer attached to what they do and become a "treatable" group under the current stupid laws. And God help us.

Nigel Graham-Miller, Valencia, Spain

With reference to the letter from Mr Korn - sometimes those who defile the internet with their bloodthirsty vengefulness are more repellent than the original offenders.

Andrew May, De Panne, Belgium

Always the answer is lock them up, secure prisons etc are costly, a far better answer is return to capital punishment. These creatures are not 'treatable, as all the liberal do-gooders would have you believe. It shows the values that are placed on children, youth, women and the vunerable, that these abominations are allowed to walk free, for decency's sake put them down as you would any other 'animal' that harms people. Abolishing capitol and corporal punishment was the worst piece of legislation ever to be passed, oh that it will return to rid our societies of these repulsive creatures. Add onto that the large list of murderers, terrorists and their like, and the prison population will be drastically reduced, no need then to release criminals!

John Korn, North Bay, Canada

Is anyone surprised?

The laws are so rigid and so out of step that no wonder nearly everyone nowadays is a sex offender.

there's a really simple answewr to this problem Move the goalposts.

richard, bangkok,

This is another sign of the complete breakdown of society. how long before people start saying that , like the drug problem, if it gets out of control and so widespread, why not just legalise it?
I'm sure the liberals would start quaking and complain that the peadeos have human rights etc For those with young children, i wonder what they're going to do now.

phollie, Bromley, UK

I'd rather send them to Iraq. The Isle of Man is a nice place, with nice residents.

Beryl, WINDSOR, England

This why the I.D. Card system will be efficient. Keep going with the good work Mr. Brown. Soon, along with all the illegals, terrorists and other unsavoury people living in the UK, these people will slowly get hunted down and controlled.

Lisa F., Bath,

Each time a tabloid newspaper runs a story of a paedophile living amidst an unsuspecting community the cry goes out from the police to let them monitor the sex offenders and nobody else.
Well it appears they aren't doing it.
With all the leaks of information about relatively trivial things in comparison, I for one would welcome a list of sex offenders being made public - whether officially or by some public spirited individual in a position of knowledge.
Maybe a website or blog could inform everyone of the potential risk in our neighbourhoods.
The police would argue that this would only drive the offenders 'underground' - well there are at least 322 already missing, how many more will be 'lost' before action is taken?

G J BUNTON, SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE

Why dont we make the Isle of Man the equivalent to Alcatraz or Devils Island.
We could re house the c75,000 inhabitants and give them a healthy resettlement bonus out of the budget saved from tracking these beasts.
All we would need is a well patrolled maritime unit and Bobs your uncle. We might as well go the whole hogg and sling the 80,000 odd prisoners over there too and let them all mingle in just fine!

Toby , Baghdad, Iraq