Cyber-flashing, d**k pics & the law
2 convictions later.... what do we know?
Thanks to the Online Safety Act (OSA) cyber-flashing is now illegal. Since January 2024 there have been two convictions - one resulting in a custodial sentence.
Let’s first be clear what it is: cyber-flashing is the sending of an unsolicited sexual image or video via social media, dating apps, bluetooth or airdrop…. “The offence requires a relevant image to be sent or given to another person with the intention that the recipient will be caused alarm, distress or humiliation, or for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification and being reckless as to whether the recipient will be caused alarm, distress or humiliation" (Kingsley Napley).
The convictions & what we have learnt
Nicholas Hawkes, 39, was convicted and sentenced to 66 weeks. He had sent an unsolicited explicit photo of his genitals to a 15 year old girl via iMessage and to a 60 year old woman via WhatsApp. The woman reported him immediately to the police.
Hawkes was already on the sex offenders’ register thanks to previous convictions for sexual activity with a minor and exposure. He had moved his predatory behaviour online.
Jak Masters, 35, was convicted of sending photos and a video to a stranger on Snapchat. He picked a woman, at random, and sent her an explicit photo. He then sent an explicit video of himself. He was sentenced to 18 weeks, suspended for two years on condition he gets treatment.
Masters has several previous convictions for exposure and indecent behaviour dating back to 2011 and is still subject to sex offender notification requirements.
Photo by May Gauthier on Unsplash
Why it should be taken seriously
Flashing hasn’t been taken seriously enough for decades. I was first flashed on my way back from primary school, aged about 8 years old. The advice we were given was to ignore or, even better, laugh at the men who flashed us. This attitude seems to persist when it comes to cyber-flashing. Shrug it off, block and move on.
A recent Internet Matters report into the abuse and harassment teen girls get online reveals parents normalising this behaviour: “They’ve all had dick pics sent to them […] It’s so standard it’s not noteworthy and they just block it and move on. It’s so standard she [my daughter] didn’t tell me, it has become a completely standard thing to happen to a teenager and I don’t think it has had a deleterious effect on her. You don’t feel singled out if it happens to you because it happens to everybody.” – Mum of a girl (15) and boy (12).
Why should flashing be taken more seriously? Indecent exposure, flashing and public masturbating is too often a gateway crime to sexual assault. Ignore the more ‘minor’ crimes and more women and girls are placed at risk as these men engage in riskier behaviour What we learn about the men who do this is that they aren’t harmless at all. We should not be laughing it off, shrugging and blocking. As the two convictions show, these men have ‘real life’ convictions. They are real life predators and are a danger to women and girls.
What to tell your children
We didn’t send these types of images as teens, but then we had to get our photos developed at the local Boots. Times have very much changed and parenting needs to change with it. We know it’s become part of online behaviour but few of us imagined having a conversation with our sons about the risk connected to sending these pictures. But we should. None of us want our daughters to run the dick pic gauntlet every time they open their apps.
Let your daughter know she can tell you what she’s been sent and she won’t lose her phone because of it. Girls are so worried about losing their tech, they don’t tell their parents about the troubling stuff they are sent and these predators get away with harassing them. Instead, regularly check settings, check their airdrop settings and check WhatsApp safety features (NSPCC guidelines). Most importantly, let them know it’s a crime. They do not have to put up with being treated like this - not in real life or online. What do you think? Has this happened to your daughter? Do you think you’d report this crime? Let me know in the chat.