Revenge porn offenders will face a six month custodial sentence, regardless of whether lawyers can prove their intent to cause distress to their victims. Until now, predators sharing intimate photos and videos of their former partners faced no punishment if there was no proof of an intention to cause harm.
But in plans announced on Tuesday, anyone found guilty of sharing images without consent will be given a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment. Should intent to humiliate, or gain sexual gratification is found - the new rules could see abusers also put on the sex offenders' register, on top of a two-year jail punishment already in place.
And for the first time, sharing of 'deepfake' intimate images - which are explicit images or videos which have been digitally edited to impose people's faces - will also be criminalised with up to two years in jail. The Mirror reports that the use of these has been increasing in recent years, with a now-defunct website which virtually stripped women naked seeing 38million hits across the first eight months of 2021.
Read more: Revenge porn victim Georgia Harrison's harrowing statement, as ex Stephen Bear jailed for 21 months
Research shows that one in seven women, and one in nine men between 18 and 34 have experienced some sort of threats with regards to the sharing of intimate images. The reforms will be added to the Online Safety Bill, after campaigning from ex-Love Island contestant Georgia Harrison.
She waived her right to anonymity when taking ex Stephen Bear to court for sharing footage without permission of the two of them having sex. Bear was handed a jail sentence of 21 months in March, after being found guilty of voyeurism and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films.
Georgia, said: "The reforms to the law that has been passed today are going to go down in history as a turning point for generations to come and will bring peace of mind to so many victims who have reached out to me whilst also giving future victim’s the justice they deserve,
"I’m so grateful to everyone who supported me throughout this campaign and it just goes to show how amazing our country is that the government have reacted so quickly to push through these amendments."
Ruth Davison, the chief executive of Refuge, said: "Refuge welcomes these amendments to the Online Safety Bill. Intimate image abuse is a multifaceted and complex form of domestic abuse, which can be perpetrated in many ways. At Refuge, we know that conviction rates for intimate image abuse remain woefully low.
"The amendments to the Online Safety Bill announced today will make it easier to prosecute perpetrators of intimate image abuse, ensuring justice and better protections for survivors."
Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, added: "Intimate image abuse causes significant distress to victims and survivors, and often exists as part of a wider pattern of abuse that continues offline. I am pleased to see these changes in the Online Safety Bill that will hold perpetrators to account for this insidious form of abuse and hope to see it pass soon."
Justice Minister, Edward Argar, went on: "No-one should ever fear that their intimate images will be put online without their consent and the true courage shown by Georgia Harrison to tell her story will help empower more victims to come forward and get the justice they deserve. Our reforms will make it easier to convict these vile individuals and protect women from being subject to such predatory abuse."
Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, added: "We are cracking down on abusers who share or manipulate intimate photos in order to hound or humiliate women and girls. Our changes will give police and prosecutors the powers they need to bring these cowards to justice, safeguarding women and girls from such vile abuse."
