Deepfake Porn

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/24/006775/G

 Version Date: 07/08/2024

1) Between 1st February 2024 and 30th June 2024, how many reports did your police force receive alleging the offence of sharing explicit images or videos that have been digitally manipulated to look like someone else without their consent, commonly known as ‘fake porn' or 'deepfake porn' (covered by the Online Safety Act 2023).  Please include the number of alleged offences reported as well as the number of individuals i.e. if there were multiple reported offences against one individual.

2) Between 1st February 2024 and 30th June 2024, how many times did your police force charge someone under the Online Safety Act with the offence of sharing explicit images or videos that have been digitally manipulated to look like someone else without their consent, commonly known as ‘deepfake porn' although that term is not in the legislation.  Please include the number of charges as well as the number of individuals i.e. if one individual was charged with multiple offences.

For clarity and to help you locate the information, I am asking for charges under the following law, Section 66B, sexual offences Act:

66B
Sharing or threatening to share intimate photograph or film
(1)
A person (A) commits an offence if—
(a) A intentionally shares a photograph or film which shows, or appears to show, another person (B) in an intimate state,
(b) B does not consent to the sharing of the photograph or film, and
(c) A does not reasonably believe that B consents.

Full legislation is here:
https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.legislation.gov.uk%2Fukpga%2F2003%2F42%2Fsection%2F66B&data=05%7C02%7Cfoi%40devonandcornwall.police.uk%7C127c4e8a6c744d830e5808dca5766b2a%7C4515d0c5b4184cfa9741222da68a18d7%7C0%7C0%7C638567175233932860%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2F2Mtj1W72buhEVWplUEpHbTh8qSy0dmss%2FkLmeLIGJ4%3D&reserved=0

The Performance & Analysis Department have provided the following information.

Time Frame for data:

01/02/24 - 30/06/24

Data Source:

Force Crime Recording System Niche

Data Processing: 

QlikSense report Crime and Outcomes filtered on

Include No Crimes: Yes

Include Non Notifiables: No

Crimed date: 01/02/24 - 30/06/24

Offence Description:

"Offences of sharing or threatening to share intimate photographs or film with intent

Sexual Offences Act 2003 Sec 66B (2) and 66B (3)"

"Share photograph or film of person in intimate state without consent

Sexual Offences Act 2003 Sec 66B (1)"

Data extracted to excel

Summary and MO Text filtered for "Deepfake", "Deep Fake" and "Fake Porn"

QlikSense report MO Text filtered on

Created date: 01/02/24 - 30/06/24

Occurrence is Crime: Yes

Offence Group: Other sexual offences

MO Data: Deepfake "Deep Fake" "Fake Porn"

These searches have resulted in a nil return.

Please note that this data is reliant on the presence of the keyword.