Nicholas Hawkes, the first person in England and Wales to be convicted of a cyber-flashing offence, has been jailed for 66 weeks for sending unsolicited explicit photos to a 15-year-old girl and a woman.
A paedophile Arsenal fan who sent a picture of his genitals to a 15-year-old girl has become the first person in England and Wales to be jailed for a cyber-flashing offence.
Hawkes was already on the sex offenders register until November 2033 after last year being convicted of sexual activity with a child under 16 years old and exposure, for which he also received a community order Those who send or provide unwanted images or films of genitals, will face prosecution and could find themselves on the sex offenders register, fined and or imprisoned for up to two years.
The new guidance also covers any threats to share intimate images where the victim or someone known to the victim fears that the threat could actually be carried out, or the offender is reckless as to whether there are any such fears. She added: 'There is a duty that I have that is a duty to protect, there is only one sentence for this set of offending - it clearly crosses the custody threshold.'Though he was offered 12 appointments with a psychiatrist, he never received them as the waiting list was too long, the court heard.
'It's sending a clear message to men and boys that this type of behaviour is wrong and it could be a criminal offence and importantly, to women and girls, who will no longer have to put up with this and they can take action and report it to police.' Zoe Billingham, a former Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue, said the prevalence of cyberflashing was 'eye-watering'.
'No one should have to receive unwanted sexual images online. Cyberflashing is a serious crime and it is important cases like these are taken forward by law enforcement.' Hawkes sent the photos from his father's phone which he borrowed after saying he needed it to call probation. On May 12 Hawkes went to Long Riding Surgery in Basildon and took his shirt off as he entered the building before stripping off completely.
Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy, Saqib Bhatti said: 'Cyber-flashing was amongst a host of vile offences we criminalised in January as part of our ground-breaking Online Safety Act to make the UK the safest place to be online.
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