A man has been sentenced for cyber flashing in England for the first time.
Nicholas Hawkes, 39, from Basildon in Essex, was jailed for 66 weeks at Southend Crown Court today after he sent unsolicited photos of his erect penis to a 15-year-old girl and a woman on 9 February.
The older victim took screenshots of the offending image on WhatsApp and reported Hawkes to the police the same day.
Cyber flashing became a criminal offence in England with the passage of the Online Safety Act on 31 January. It has been a crime in Scotland since 2010.
The offence covers the sending of an unsolicited sexual image to people via social media, dating apps, text message or data-sharing services such as Bluetooth and AirDrop.
Victims of cyber flashing get lifelong anonymity from the time they report the offence, as it also falls under the Sexual Offences Act.
Read more from Sky News:
Love Island star ‘bombarded’ with unwanted penis images
Hawkes previously admitted two counts of sending a photograph or film of genitals to cause alarm, distress, or humiliation, at Southend Magistrates’ Court.
He was already a registered sex offender and will be until November 2033, having been convicted of sexual activity with a child under 16 and exposure at Basildon Crown Court last year, for which he also received a community order.
On Tuesday he pleaded guilty to breaching the order and breaching a suspended sentence for another sexual offence.
His sentencing included these breaches.
Essex Police said Hawkes must also comply with a 10-year restraining order and will be subject to a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Detective Chief Inspector James Gray said: “This result proves that we are able to thoroughly investigate all sexual offences, including those which have only recently been criminalised.
“Hawkes has proven himself to be a dangerous individual and our crime and public protection team have put hours of work into ensuring he is taken off the streets.
“Perpetrators may think that by offending online, they are less likely to be caught, however that is not the case. Cyber flashing has a detrimental impact on victims, and we will continue to investigate all reports of this offence.
“People who think it’s acceptable to send these unsolicited photos… it’s not, and I ask those who think it is acceptable to reflect on their behaviour.”
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Sefer Mani, from the Crown Prosecution Service in the East of England, said of the case: “Cyber flashing is a grotesque crime and the fact we were able to deliver swift justice for the two victims shows the new law is working.
“Everyone should feel safe wherever they are and not be subjected to receiving unwanted sexual images.
“I urge anyone who feels they have been a victim of cyber flashing to report it to the police and know that they will be taken seriously and have their identities protected.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
