London, February 18: An Independent Monitoring Board report has revealed that sexual activity among inmates at HMP The Verne in the UK's Dorset is "inevitable" due to the prison's open accommodation layout. The HMP The Verne facility in the UK, which specialises in housing sex offenders, allows inmates to associate freely on their landings at night, leading to increased incidents of bullying, coercion, and grooming of vulnerable prisoners for sexual favours and drugs.

The report by the Daily Mail says that while the open environment aims to provide a more "normal" life for inmates, it has also contributed to troubling behaviours. A survey indicated that nearly 81% of the 600 inmates identified as heterosexual, with 7.5% identifying as gay or bisexual. UK: Number of Prison Officers Caught Having Sex With Inmates Reaches Record High.

Additionally, the report noted that a significant portion of the inmate population is over 60, resulting in prison officers dedicating over 13,000 hours to "bed watch duties" for terminally ill prisoners. The board has called for the establishment of an end-of-life facility within the prison, which has been operational since 1857.

In other news, a sex offender was sentenced to eight years in prison after attempting to meet what he believed was a young boy. Instead, the accused, Bex McCullgh, was arrested by officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) in Bristol in October 2024. UK Shocker: Woman Kills Daughters ‘Who Got in Way of Her Sex Life’, Sentenced to 32 Years in Jail.

McCullgh pleaded guilty to three child sex offences. His sentence includes four years in prison, followed by an additional four years on extended licence. Detective Inspector David Wells from SWROCU stated that the sentence "reflects the threat" McCullgh posed to children and aims to prevent future reoffending.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 18, 2025 08:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).