POLICE have launched a poster campaign in Okehampton to remind men that sex with underage girls is illegal. It is a criminal offence to have sex with anyone under 16 years old. Those found guilty could face up to two years in prison and could have their name put on the sex offenders? register. Posters have been put up in the area with the message: ?Appearances can be deceptive?. They show a schoolgirl who makes herself look older so that she can go clubbing. PC David Woodland, youth intervention officer for Mid Devon, said: ?We have had a small number of reports of men having sex with underage girls in the area and take these very seriously. ?Men should act responsibly and ensure that people they have sex with are the legal age. ?In law, someone under the age of 16 cannot legally consent to having sexual intercourse and so they will still be breaking the law.? Information packs will be distributed among the sixth form at Okehampton College, and campaign posters and beer mats, plus leaflets about underage drinking, are going on display in pubs in Okehampton and the surrounding area in the New Year. The campaign throughout Mid Devon is being run in partnership by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Youth Work in Devon and Mid Devon Primary Care Trust.
