PART 10U.K.Communications offences

Offences to be inserted into Sexual Offences Act 2003E+W

187Sending etc photograph or film of genitalsE+W

In the Sexual Offences Act 2003, after section 66 insert—

66ASending etc photograph or film of genitals

(1)A person (A) who intentionally sends or gives a photograph or film of any person’s genitals to another person (B) commits an offence if—

(a)A intends that B will see the genitals and be caused alarm, distress or humiliation, or

(b)A sends or gives such a photograph or film for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification and is reckless as to whether B will be caused alarm, distress or humiliation.

(2)References to sending or giving such a photograph or film to another person include, in particular—

(a)sending it to another person by any means, electronically or otherwise,

(b)showing it to another person, and

(c)placing it for a particular person to find.

(3)Photograph” includes the negative as well as the positive version.

(4)Film” means a moving image.

(5)References to a photograph or film also include—

(a)an image, whether made or altered by computer graphics or in any other way, which appears to be a photograph or film,

(b)a copy of a photograph, film or image within paragraph (a), and

(c)data stored by any means which is capable of conversion into a photograph, film or image within paragraph (a).

(6)A person who commits an offence under this section is liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the general limit in a magistrates’ court or a fine (or both);

(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.