The public are to be asked for their views before new sexual offences legislation is put in place on the island.

Issues being looked at will include sexual offences involving children, revenge porn, where a former partner has distributed images, sentencing options and historic convictions for homosexuality.

The public will be consulted on an entire draft bill for a new Sexual Offences Act, which will replace a number of existing Acts.

A spokesman for the Department of Home Affairs said: ’We are conducting a comprehensive review of the Isle of Man’s sexual offences legislation.

’Existing legislation is out of date and located in a number of different Acts.

’The intention is to repeal and replace legislation with a single new Sexual Offences Act that reflects modern law, language and sentencing powers and is fit for the 21st century.

’Consideration will be given to adding provisions to deal with issues such as revenge porn and historic convictions for homosexuality.

’We will also seek to address sexual offences involving children, including how indecent images are categorised for sentencing purposes.’

The intention is for the Sexual Offences Act 1992, the Sexual Offenders Act 2006, and parts of the Criminal Justice Act 2001 to be replaced with the new Sexual Offences Act.

In addition, laws relating to obscene publications will be looked at which is currently covered by the Obscene Publications and Indecent Advertisements Act 1907.

The review is being conducted by officers at the Department of Home Affairs in conjunction with department political member Dr Alex Allinson MHK and with the oversight of minister Bill Malarkey.

Recent high profile cases on the island have caused controversy with many people commenting on our Facebook page saying that sentences were not lengthy enough.

We reported last week how 45-year-old Martin Andrew Cleator, of Ballaquark in Douglas, was jailed for two years for possessing 908,048 indecent images of children.

Cleator also admitted distributing 54 indecent images of children and was put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years as well as being made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order indefinitely.

And on Thursday, we told how William Henry Kelly, of Magher Breek, Peel, was jailed for 18 years after a jury found him guilty of 10 counts of rape, four indecent assaults and two assaults causing actual bodily harm.

Both stories sparked numerous angry comments relating to the length of the sentences imposed.