Man will spend more than a year in prison for sending photos of his penis

For the first time in England, a man has been jailed for sending photos of his penis to a 15-year-old and another woman. The criminal was put behind bars for more than a year, reports Dazed.

Photo: iStock.com/delihayat

Cyberflashing laws have been in the works for a long time across the UK and finally came into force on 31 January 2024 as part of the Online Safety Act.

Cyber-flashing is the sending of unsolicited photographs of genitals to strangers using modern means of communication.

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The 39-year-old Englishman became the first person to be jailed in England for such an offense.

The heart of the matter

Sex offender Nicholas Hawkes was sentenced to more than a year (66 weeks) in prison at Southend Crown Court for sending unwanted photographs of his genitals to a 15-year-old girl and an adult woman. In particular, on February 9, he sent them photographs of his erect penis. The woman took screenshots via WhatsApp and reported the man to Essex Police the same day.

At a hearing at Southend Crown Court on February 12, Hawkes pleaded guilty to two counts of “sending a photograph or video of genitalia with intent to cause alarm, distress or humiliation.” This falls under the recent cyberflashing law. It applies to images sent to social networks and dating apps, as well as via Airdrop or Bluetooth.

Hawkes was already on the sex offenders register before the latest incident. Last year he was found guilty of exposure and sexual activity with a child under 16.

The danger of cyber flashing

“Cyberflashing is a serious crime that has long-term impacts on victims. It can often be classified as mindless "banter" or a harmless joke, said Hannah von Dadelsen, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS East of England. “Just as those who commit indecent exposure in public deserve to be punished, so too do internet criminals get what they deserve.” The fact that they are hiding behind the screen of the Internet will not help them hide from the law.”

“The Crown Prosecution Service has secured its first conviction for cyberflashing, but it will not be the last,” she said. “I urge anyone who has been the victim of such a shocking crime - whether through instant messaging, dating apps or any other means - to speak out. You have the right to lifelong anonymity."

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Under the Sexual Offenses Act, victims of cyberflash and other forms of image-based violence are given lifelong anonymity from the moment the report is received.

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