Causing or allowing persons under sixteen to be used for begging

57.-(1) If any person causes or procures any child under the age of sixteen years, or having the custody, charge or care of such a child, allows him to be in any street, premises or place, for the purpose of begging or receiving alms, or inducing the giving of alms (whether or not there is any pretence of singing, playing, performing, offering anything for sale or otherwise) he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding .150 or to both such imprisonment and fine.

(2) If any person having the custody, charge or care of a child is charged with an offence under this section and it is proved that the child was in any street, premises or place for any such purpose as aforesaid and that the person charged allowed the child to be in the street, premises or place, he shall be presumed to have allowed him to be in the street, premises or place for that purpose unless the contrary is proved.

(3) If any person while singing, playing, performing or offering anything for sale in a street or public place has with him a child who has been lent or hired out to him, the child shall for the purposes of this section be deemed to be in that street or place for the purpose of inducing the giving of alms.