A man in England has been jailed for 66 weeks after pleading guilty to cyber-flashing. Nicholas Hawkes is the first person in the country to be convicted of the crime Cyberflashing (sending unsolicited photographs of genitalia) was banned in England and Wales under a law on 31 January.
Prosecutor Hannah von Dadelzsen said, “Cyberflashing is a serious crime that leaves lasting effects on victims, but can often be dismissed as a thoughtless ‘joke’ or harmless joke.” . “Just as those who make indecent exposures in the physical world expect to face consequences, so should criminals who commit their crimes online; hiding behind a screen does not hide you from the law.”
Hawkes, a registered sex offender from Basildon, Essex, admitted sending images of his genitalia to a 15-year-old girl and a woman in early February. The woman took screenshots of the image and informed the police. Cyberflashing victims receive lifelong anonymity under the Sex Offenses Act after reporting such crimes.
Hawkes pleaded guilty on February 12 to two counts of sending a photograph or film of genitalia for the purpose of alarm, distress or humiliation. He remained in custody pending sentencing on Tuesday. Hawkes was jailed for a year for the cyberflash counts and 14 weeks for breaching the previous order. He was convicted last year of sexual intercourse and sexual activity with a child under 16 years of age and received a community order.
Some other jurisdictions have similar laws against cyberflashing. Scotland prohibited In 2010 and Northern Ireland followed last year. Singapore While its application is illegal in 2019 . Some states have including to fight cyber flash Virginia and Texas.
