Since 2015 in England and Wales, it has been an offence for someone to share a private sexual image or video (online or offline) of someone without their consent and with the intention of causing them distress.

Earlier this year, however, amendments were made to the Sexual Offences Act (2003) to include wider intimate image abuse offences. These include:

Sharing an intimate image without consent, or reasonable belief in consent
Sharing an intimate image without consent, with the intent to cause alarm distress and humiliation
Sharing an intimate image without consent, or reasonable belief in consent, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification
Threatening to share an intimate image

“Someone guilty of revenge porn may face a criminal conviction such as we saw with Stephen Bear, potentially end up on the sex offender register and be limited in their ability to travel and work in certain areas,” adds Danielle Vincent, lawyer at Hugh James Solicitors. “Individuals may also have the opportunity to sue the individual who posted the images for compensation. This year saw the first case of revenge porn heard at the Royal Courts of Justice, where the survivor was awarded over £100,000 in compensation by the perpetrator. This functioned as a warning to anyone committing such crimes that they will also face potential civil actions. Stephen Bear is also a stark reminder of how sharing images can also lead to a custodial sentence.”

Intimate image abuse: the law around ‘revenge porn’ and how to report it