To be shocked that registered sex offenders can change their name so easily?

[Clymene]

There is already a thread in FWR about this but there's a new article published today in the Times.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bac57036-ebc3-11eb-984b-57a44d13e8d6?shareToken=3c8c416d153646bc7bccb84c68fba2faa_

Hopefully that link works.

A day after his sentence for making images of little girls, teacher Ben Lewis changed his name to Ben David, got a new passport and DBS check in his new name and went on to offend in a school in Spain.

Of course bloody sex offenders are going to do this!

coming from a country where you can't change your name (apart from marriage, adoption and witness protection) changing names totally confuses me.
how can it not be open for abuse?

I don’t think you can change your name and get a new passport without disclosing your old name. Otherwise they ask for your birth certificate and parent’s passport details etc to prove you’re actually British, you wouldn’t be able to fake that depth of information surely. Your old name doesn’t show on your new passport but the government presumably link it

I dunno about criminal checks as I haven’t had any police involvement, but I agree that it should stay with the person. A name change shouldn’t wipe your convictions away. Their DNA is presumably on file if they have a record so hopefully that will help catch them out

@purplesequins sorry but your country sounds awful! Imagine being lumbered with a weird & bizarre name for life.

I’m British and like that you can change your name somewhat easily here. The majority of people who change their name aren’t doing it for fraudulent/nefarious reasons. Actual criminals don’t tend to bother with a formal name change and new ID