By Local Democracy Reporter Katie May Nelson
A charity says there is an unknown amount of young people who are having intimate photos shared of them without their consent.
Statistics from Kent Police show there were 38 reports of ‘revenge porn’ made to them last year where the alleged victim was under 18.
This was highest number since laws governing the issue came into force seven years ago.
So far this year, there have been 14 reports made; five children were aged between 12 and 14, and the rest were over 15. Two cases remain under investigation.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 “creates an offence of disclosing private sexual photographs or films without the consent of an individual who appears in them and with intent to cause that individual distress”.
Since the law came into force, there have been 146 reports where the alleged victim was under 18, and in four of those cases, there have been charges.
In the majority of cases (73), the victim did not support or withdrew support for police action.
In comparison, there have been 1,582 reports involving adults over the last seven years; in 5% of those cases there have been charges.
Last year, there were 342 reports which involved adults.
NSPCC’s Childline service and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) run a tool to help young people get nude images or videos which have been shared by a third party removed from the internet.
The image, video, or URL can be shared anonymously through the tool and the IWF will work to assess the image before removing it from the internet.
The service is completely confidential and those working for Childline never see the person or people in the photographs.
Cormac Nolan, head of service for Childline Online, said: “It’s much more prevalent than we actually know because the level of reporting and help-seeking is lower than it should be.
“But I think it is gaining momentum and Report Remove is playing a part in that.
“I can certainly say with confidence that a lot of children and young people become very isolated, become very frightened; they hold this problem in very particular place in their own lives.
“The tendency to share or seek support tends not to be the first place that children and young people go with.
“It’s something that still has a degree of shame and embarrassment attached to it, and we’ve got to be honest and say that; it shouldn’t do, but it does.
“It’s important to understand that a lot of children and young people are being blackmailed or threatened and that adds a whole new level of fear and concern for those children and young people.”
Superintendent Pete Steenhuis of Kent Police said: “Offences of revenge porn can be particularly distressing for victims, especially when they are children whose personal images are being shared within their school or college.
“The introduction of schools officers in 2021 has given Kent Police new opportunities to educate young people about the harm such actions can cause, and they regularly deliver talks on subjects including the law around sexual offences and the impact of image taking and image sharing whilst also raising awareness of national campaigns such as Anti-Bullying Week and Children’s Mental Health Week.
“Most victims of revenge porn report incidents to us because they want the behaviour to stop and for the material to be removed from public display.
“Having police officers in schools helps them feel more comfortable in doing so and provides reassurance that a known and trusted officer will work quickly with the school leadership to take appropriate action and provide the victim with the necessary support and safeguarding.
“Identifying any welfare issues relating to those responsible for such offences is also important, as there may be underlying reasons that need to be addressed.
“Supporting and educating a young person to help steer them away from crime is preferable to prosecution in many cases and is often a more effective way to stop such offences being committed again.”
For more information on how to use the Report Remove service, go to bit.ly/3QiBtTT or call 08001111.
