Revenge porn laws in the UK

Found out someone you trusted has shared intimate images or videos of you online? You may be panicking and feel utterly betrayed, but revenge porn is illegal and there are plenty of practical steps you can take to get them taken down. The Mix explains revenge porn laws in the UK and how to get help if you need it.

Revenge porn is bullying, you are not to blame

Don’t blame yourself under any circumstances. However these images got online, this is not your fault. Revenge porn is bullying and you have been the victim of a criminal offence.

There are ways to tackle rogue photographs or files of yourself online, and ways to avoid it from happening. Here they are.

If you have been a victim it’s ok to tell someone

You may feel ashamed, but it’s important to tell someone what’s happened. This is a deeply distressing thing to go through, and you shouldn’t go through it alone. Remember, none of this was your fault. You’ve done nothing to be ashamed of. Only the person who breached your privacy and trust should feel ashamed of their behaviour. If you can bear to, tell your parents or a trusted friend – whoever you feel most comfortable confiding in.

Revenge porn law explained

So called ‘revenge porn’ is now illegal. Under this law, anyone who “distributes private sexual images without consent, and with the intention of causing them distress” could end up with a two-year prison sentence.

How to report revenge porn to the police

With the new amendments to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, it’s easier to prove to the police that what’s happened to you is a criminal offence. However, the law is still new, so we can’t say for certain how effective it will be.

“The age of criminal responsibility is 10, so you or your parents have a right to press charges against the person who shared these photos. The police can be reluctant to do this, but it’s your right as a victim,” says Jennifer.

Pressing charges doesn’t mean any legal action will be taken, but it will go on their police record. Our article about Victim Support talks you through the process of reporting a crime here.

What if the police don’t help?

“If the police refuse to take action you can ask for a case review,” says Jennifer. “Then a more senior officer has to review it.” If you’re still not satisfied, you can complain to the Independent Complaints Commission (IPCC).

How to get revenge porn taken down

If you’re under 18

If you were under 18 when the sexual photograph or film was created then legally, the person who shared it is breaking another law.The law would consider this to be an ‘indecent photo of a child’. Even someone keeping them on their phone/computer counts as ‘possession,’ and texting it to a mate or posting it online counts as ‘distribution’. These are serious sexual offences – crimes with hefty maximum sentences.

• Report the image to the website or social media platform in question and untag yourself if you’re able to.
• Contact the person who first shared the image and ask them to take it down, as well as provide a list of all the people they’ve shared it with and sites they’ve uploaded it to.
• Say you’ll contact the police if they don’t do this. You can get your parents to send a letter to their parents if that feels less scary.
• Record your conversations with the person who shared the images, if you report them to the police this may become evidence.
• Make a report to the Internet Watch Foundation here and let the website know you’re doing this. They’re breaking the law by hosting these photos, so you can threaten them with legal action too.
• Childline and the IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) have formed a partnership to help individuals remove intimate content online. Call Childline on 0800 1111 for further support.

If you’re over 18

It’s tougher to get stuff like this taken down. However, it’s worth trying. “It’s hard to prove you were definitely over 18 when a photo or video was made. Therefore, it’s worth contacting the site directly and claiming the images are child pornography – even if they weren’t,” says Jennifer Perry, an e-crime expert. “Tell them you’re going to call the police unless they take them down.”

Appealing to the website owners’ softer side might be a better approach initially. “Often just pleading: ‘I was young and didn’t know what I was doing, please take it down’ will get the images removed,” says Jennifer. “The more you talk to the website owner yourself, the better.”

Ring the Revenge Porn Helpline for free, confidential support on 0345 6000 459. They’ll be able to help minimise the reach of your photos. You can also email them on [email protected].

Is there a safe way to take naked photos?

Yes, it’s very easy to say ‘never, ever, take any naked photo of yourself ever’ – but that’s not particularly helpful. Sharing sexy snaps is part of how we have sex these days. And not forgetting, sometimes these are taken without your consent. However, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself.

• Always take photos from the neck downwards. That way, no one can ever prove it was you. Crafty, eh?
• If you’re in a relationship with someone who’s asking you to send them sexy images, ask yourself ‘do I absolutely trust this person 100%?’ and ‘will I still trust them if we have a horrifically painful break-up?’ If in doubt, don’t send them anything. If they’re pressuring you to do this, even though they know it makes you uncomfortable, read our article on relationship abuse here.
• Remember, nothing is truly safe on the internet. Snapchats can be screengrabbed, iClouds can get hacked, phones can get stolen… The only real way to be completely safe is to not show your face and/or stay fully clothed in front of any camera lens your entire life. Sad, but true.
• If you break up with a partner, make sure you have a ‘digital break-up’ too. “When you break up with someone you should organise a time to meet up, sit down, and delete all intimate texts, photos and videos from your phones or computer in front of each other,” says Jennifer.

How does revenge porn get shared?

What usually happens is that you sent pictures of yourself to someone because you thought you trusted them – but then they shared them round school/college/the internet. Or, more rarely, maybe an ex has shared a sexy photo or video of you to get revenge. Or you may have had your phone hacked, or stolen, and the thieves raided your pictures. Or maybe – and this is even rarer, but it does happen – you were filmed having sex without your knowledge and now you’re being blackmailed.

However the problem started, it’s important to take back control as quickly as possible by following the steps above. Most importantly, tell someone – no one should feel alone at a time like this. Remember, sharing private sexual photographs without consent is bullying and illegal, you have nothing to be ashamed of.

Further help tackling revenge porn

The Revenge Porn Helpline can help you stop the reach of explicit photos. If you are over 18, ring them confidentially on 0345 6000 459.

BullyingUK offers advice and support to victims of bullying. Call on 0808 800 2222. Don’t know who to turn to?

Reach out to the community on our Discussion Boards. You can chat with us anonymously and you’ll find we’re all happy to help.

If you need help but are confused about where to go locally you can get support on a whole range of issues on our website.