Calls to prosecute over nude images sent with no consent

MEN should be prosecuted for sending nude images to women unless consent is given, say female academics and women’s groups.

They said the Government’s plans to prosecute men for cyberflashing do not go far enough because they will require proof that men sent the images for their own sexual gratification or to cause distress. They warned this would not only make prosecution more difficult but also exclude men who send nude images for a laugh, as a joke among their friends or to gain kudos – even though such pictures can cause women distress. The new offence will carry a maximum two-year jail term.

The call has been made by Clare Mcglynn, professor of law at Durham University, the charities Refuge and Women’s Aid, UN Women and the women-first dating app Bumble, which pioneered AI to automatically detect and blur nude images.

It follows research that they commissioned, which found nearly half of women aged 18 to 24 said they had received an unwanted sexual photo (48 per cent) in the last year.

The Yougov poll of nearly 1,800 adults found cyberflashing had a lasting negative impact on women with more than half (59 per cent) saying it left them feeling less trusting of others online.

Prof Mcglynn, QC, urged ministers to press ahead with a new law on cyberflashing as part of the Online Safety Bill. It has been delayed until the autumn, raising fears progress could be hampered by a Tory backlash over a planned crackdown on “legal but harmful” content. She welcomed the proposed law but added: “The current proposal will only cover cyberflashing where you can prove that the person sent the image for

‘Many studies show around half of young women are sent sexually explicit images without their consent’

sexual gratification or to cause distress. This leaves a significant gap where men send the images as a laugh, a joke among their friends, to gain kudos.

“What we need is a comprehensive, straightforward law based on non-consent.

“Many studies show that around half of young women are being sent sexually explicit images without their consent and the figures are even higher for those aged under 18.”