British Man Who Must Give Police 24 Hours' Notice of Sex Threatens Hunger Strike

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A man, from North Yorkshire, England, must disclose the details of any female, including her name, address and date of birth, to police at least 24 hours prior to any sexual activity taking place. Jeff Pachoud/Getty

A man cleared of rape who must give police 24 hours' notice before he has sex is to go on hunger strike in protest over the ruling.

The man, who is in his 40s and cannot be named for legal reasons, was acquitted at a retrial in 2015, but is the subject of an interim sexual risk order (SRO).

He said the law had been "misapplied deliberately by North Yorkshire Police" and he would "commence hunger strike in protest over the SRO" but the force said it was "satisfied that our actions are justified."

Sexual risk orders were introduced in England and Wales in 2015 and can be applied to any individual who the police believe poses a risk of sexual harm—even if they have never been convicted of a crime.

The order requires this individual to disclose any planned sexual activity to the police or face up to five years in prison.

Sexual risk orders are civil orders imposed by magistrates at the request of police. In this case, the man "must disclose the details of any female including her name, address and date of birth... at least 24 hours prior to any sexual activity taking place."

In a statement, the man said: "I protest that even though a jury found me unanimously not guilty, after nearly two years I still find myself being punished for a crime that never happened.

"I protest to being subject to an order that is unlawful in almost every syllable, is unjustified and is so extreme as to be utterly unlivable."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said its application for an SRO was considered necessary "to protect the public from the risk of sexual harm."

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