Sharing or threatening to share an intimate photograph or film
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/25/007695/K
Version Date: 28/02/2025
Please could you provide us with the numbers in relation to the following information, for the period 31st January 2024 to 30th January 2025, concerning Sharing or threatening to share an intimate photograph or film under Section 66b of the Sexual Offences Act (2003) where the victim is aged 18 or older:
• Reported cases
• Arrests
• Outcomes:
o No further action (with further detail, if possible)
o Charges
o Other resolutions
The Performance & Analysis Department have provided the following information.
Data Source:
Force Crime Recording System Niche
Data Processing:
QlikSense report Occurrence People Links (last 2 years) filtered on
Crime Only?: Yes
Reported Date: 31/01/2024 - 30/01/2025
Person or Organisation: Person
Victim: Yes
Age Range at Time: all except <18, UNKNOWN and n/a
Offence Description:
Disclose / threaten to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress
"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)"
QlikSense report Detainee Management filtered on
Arrest Date: 31/01/2024 - 30/01/2025
Arrest Offence:
Share photograph or film of person in intimate state intending to cause alarm distress or humiliation (recordable)
Threaten to share photograph or film of person in intimate state (recordable)
Share photograph or film of person in intimate state without consent (recordable)
Share photograph or film of person in intimate state for the purpose of sexual gratification (recordable)
Disclose / threaten to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress (recordable)
Data extracted to excel
Data Limitations:
- Offences of Disclose / threaten to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress came under section 33(1) and (9) of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, however as of 30/01/24 this section and the associated offence were repealed due to changes made by the Online Safety Act 2023. Replacement offences came into effect on 31/01/24 as part of section 66B of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
- A person can be arrested for multiple offences of sharing/ threatening to share intimate photographs or film at the same time. This data is representative of the number of unique arrests, not the numbers of unique persons arrested or the number of arrests for each different offence.
- Data excludes cancelled crimes.
- Arrest data may contain offences where the victim is <18 years old at the time of the offence.
Data
|
Number of offences related to sharing/threaten to share private sexual photographs or film reported to Devon and Cornwall Police between 31/01/2024 - 30/01/2025 with a victim aged 18 or over, by outcome as at 06/02/25. |
|
|
1: Charged |
3 |
|
10: Police - formal action not in public interest |
1 |
|
14: Victim declines/unable to support action to identify offender |
15 |
|
15: Police - named suspect, victim supports but evidential difficulties |
44 |
|
16: Victim declines/withdraws support - named suspect identified |
45 |
|
17: Suspect identified but prosecution time limit expired |
1 |
|
18: Investigation complete no suspect identified |
37 |
|
20: Other body/agency has investigation primacy |
1 |
|
21: Police - named suspect, investigation not in the public interest |
2 |
|
22: Diversionary, educational or intervention activity, not in public interest to take further action |
1 |
|
3: Adult caution |
1 |
|
8: Community resolution |
1 |
|
New |
33 |
|
Total |
185 |
During the period 31/01/24 - 30/01/25 Devon and Cornwall Police made 51 arrests for offences relating to sharing/threaten to share private sexual photographs or film.