Police tackle boy of 5 over ‘sexting’ picture

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD has become the youngest person in the UK to be investigated by police for “sexting”.

The boy, who was “spoken to” by officers from Durham Constabulary last year, is the youngest of 4,000 children who have been dealt with by police since 2013. He sent a sexual image of himself to an 11-year-old child using oovoo, a social media video and image sharing app. Two seven-year-olds were also investigated by the force.

Across the UK, 498 children aged 11 or under were contacted by police after sharing intimate images in the past year. The youngest to be cautioned was 10 – the current age for criminal responsibility. The most common age for the children involved was 13 or 14.

It is illegal to share, take or possess indecent images of anyone aged under 18 – even in the case of a child sharing images of him or herself.

Claire Lilley, the NSPCC’S head of child safety online said: “It is extremely worrying that any child is being investigated for ‘sexting’.

“However, we know from Childline that a child could be pressured into sending sexual images of themselves.

“Once a child sends an image they lose control over where it will end up or who will see it. It’s vital that parents take the first step – even if it feels awkward – to talk to their child about the dangers of sexting as soon as they are given any technology.”